Partnerships which have produced major works of distinctive creative vision in all its manifestations.
Photo: Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healy, Psychopomp, 2024, production still. Image courtesy artists, N. Smith Gallery and MAGMA Galleries.
Since its inception, Samstag Museum has been committed to supporting artists in the creation of bold, experimental and challenging new works. We collaborate with a range of commissioning partners to help bring these ambitious projects to life. Our commissioning program aims to highlight innovative creative practices and share artists' diverse perspectives with the community. All commissioned work is ultimately presented as part of Samstag's yearly exhibition program.
Learn more about Samstag's past commissions and current opportunities below:
UniSA Jeffrey Smart Commission
Artist in Residence Commission
UniSA Jeffrey Smart Commission
A new commission established in 2022 to provide opportunities for Australian arts practitioners to develop a major new work, or body of works, culminating in an exhibition at Samstag Museum of Art.
The Commission is awarded by the University of South Australia through Samstag Museum of Art in recognition of the late Jeffrey Smart, an alumnus of the South Australian School of Art. The Commission will be available via application or invitation to alumni of UniSA and its antecedents, Aboriginal practitioners, and Samstag Scholars from any creative discipline, including film, performance, visual arts, craft, design, or architecture.
Applications are currently closed.
2026 / Robert Fielding: Melting Point
2025 / Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healy: Psychopomp
2024 / Archie Moore: Dwelling (Adelaide Issue)
ART & MOVING IMAGE COMMISSION
Samstag Museum of Art, in partnership with the Adelaide Film Festival, supports the development and presentation of bold and innovative screen-based works by artists and screen creators. Established in 2007, this special partnership has produced major works of distinctive creative vision that explore the moving image in all its manifestations. The major works produced as part of the Art & Moving Image Commission have premiered at Samstag and form an integral role in the Adelaide Film Festival program.
2024 / Archie Moore: Dwelling (Adelaide Issue)
2022 / Soda Jerk: Hello Dankness
2018 / Molly Reynolds & Rolf de Heer: The Waiting Room
2017 / Trent Parke & Narelle Autio: The Summation of Force
2017 / Geoff Cobham: Already Elsewhere
2015 / Hossein Valamanesh: Char Soo
2013 / Daniel Crooks: Pan No. 11 Cross Platform Transfer
2011 / Warwick Thornton: Stranded
2009 / Lynette Wallworth: Duality of Light
EPHEMERAL CommissionS
In 2022, Samstag initated a commissioning program to support artists working with ephemeral artforms, including music, dance and performance. Each commissioned artist is invited to create a new work to be presented across multiple performances.
2023 / Sebastian Collen: Performance Series—CARTE and CREDO
2022 / Daniel Jaber: Performance Trilogy—Rite, Rot and Dirt
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE COMMISSION
The Artist in Residence Commission was a collaborative initiative between Samstag Museum, The South Australian Film Corporation, Adelaide Studios and SALA (South Australian Living Artists) Festival, with funding from Arts South Australia and Unitcare Services, to support an artist residency at Adelaide Studios. This partnership provided a generous commissioning fund to create a new moving image work to be presented by Samstag during the SALA Festival.
2021 / Madison Bycroft: BIOPIC or Charles Geneviève Louis Auguste André Timothée
2020 / Amos Gebhardt: Small Acts of Resistance
