NOOBA is blurring the line between a doodle and a masterpiece with its upcoming exhibition of bizarre art | Northcote Town Hall

Art is a funny business. One person's masterpiece is another person's questionable use of materials, and NOOBA is rather interested in that space between the two. The inaugural Northcote Organisation of Bizarre Art Prize brings together a collection of Australian artworks that challenge conventional ideas about what art should be. Founded by a trio with some rather unconventional views on the subject, NOOBA also puts the public in the position of judge, with exhibition visitors deciding who takes home the $2,000 prize. We chat with co-founder Craig Burton about the thinking behind NOOBA, what makes art interesting and why it's worth questioning our expectations of art.

"The response we've had from artists has been fantastic! We received nearly 300 submissions, and I’m sure we’ll receive more next time when we’ve built up more of a profile. These 'bizarre' works are unconventional, interesting, and surprising. It’s something between a doodle and a masterpiece," Burton explains. "Nothing moderate, mediocre or middling. They are a call from artists seeking to be understood, while leaving room for multiple meanings. If the perfectly ordinary subject can be presented this way, then it becomes bizarre."

Of those near 300 submissions, just under a third have made the final cut, with 72 works selected for public viewing and critique. Without giving too much away, Burton teases a collection that promises to intrigue, surprise and, quite possibly, unsettle. "There are some things that will be made out of human hair and some will get in your head and take a week to get out, but rest assured, none of them are photorealistic portraits of old people from the Renaissance or the English countryside."

There's often an unspoken expectation that gallery visitors should know what they're looking at, or at least pretend they do. NOOBA isn't particularly interested in that sort of art-world etiquette. "Art should have multiple meanings that reflect the inner workings of the viewer. We don’t want you to ‘get’ the piece," he says. "We want you to feel it. So any and all reactions are perfect as they are."

There's another point of difference in how NOOBA operates. Rather than leaving the decision to a panel of art-world experts, the inaugural prize will be decided by the people who visit the exhibition. It's a deliberate choice, reflecting NOOBA's desire to encourage more people to engage with art and perhaps even have a go themselves. "Because we want people to start making their own weird and bizarre works and to inspire new schools of art to spring forth, we decided to go for a public vote to determine the inaugural winner. Maybe the public will choose differently from what the art establishment would, but we aren’t speaking to the establishment. We’re speaking to you," he says.

Beyond celebrating the unconventional, Burton sees NOOBA as a statement about the value of human creativity at a time when AI is challenging traditional ideas of artistic authorship. "This exhibition is happening because the world's artists are confronting AI," he tells me. "The works at NOOBA show that only people can invent culture. All machine art is derivative in some way. I hope the public come away from this exhibition saying ‘I could have done that!’, but this time, they actually go on to do that. Pitch your new works to NOOBA 2027!" 

Whether you leave scratching your head, questioning your own artistic abilities or inspired to pick up a paintbrush yourself, NOOBA promises a different sort of gallery experience. With 72 works to explore and a public vote that puts the final decision in visitors' hands, there's plenty of reason to take a look.

EVENT DETAILS

Venue: Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre, 189 High St, Northcote
Season: 10 - 15 November | 11am - 8pm
Tickets: Free - bookings required
Bookings: NOOBA

Images credit: supplied