Behind the Lines 2024

Behind the Lines 2024 celebrates the year's best political cartoons.

Featuring established and emerging cartoonists from across Australia, this exhibition highlights the significant contribution they make to cultural and political debates through witty, insightful and often poignant satirical drawings, paintings, GIFs and sculptures.

For 2024, our Behind the Lines exhibition theme is 'No guts, no glory', reflecting a year where the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held, and in Australia's daily news sporting analogies were drawn between politics and the issues affecting our everyday lives.

Visit the exhibition online.

Audio description

Black and white audio description symbol

A selection of cartoons are audio described for visitors who are blind or have low vision.
Listen online.

A smiling man, woman and two kids stand in a corridor at Old Parliament House looking at a political cartooning exhibition.

A girl and boy play a game of table soccer. In the background there is a bright orange wall with giant cartoon characters.

Travelling exhibition

In 2025, Behind the Lines will travel to venues around Australia, proudly supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.

Dates and venues

Pinnacles Gallery, QLD: 8 March to 11 May 2025
Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum, QLD: 17 May to 28 June 2025
Old Treasury Building, VIC: 17 July to 28 August 2025
The Hawke Centre, SA: 4 September to 31 October 2025

Logo with the coat of arms of Australian and text: 'Australian Government National Collecting Institutions Touring & Outreach Program'

Plan your visit

All areas of the exhibition are accessible by wheelchair.

When the exhibition is busy, there may be a lot of people in the hallways where the cartoons are hung.

This exhibition is located next to the Museum's accessible entry and can be a busy thoroughfare for visitors and staff.

There is a soundscape of a netball game and cheering that is triggered by visitors approaching the entrance of the exhibition on the right-hand side.

There are soft, ball-shaped cushions on the couch near the entrance.

The mystery cartoon game and table soccer can be loud when in use.

Some cartoons in the exhibition are moving GIFs.

Play a rousing round of table soccer, guess the mystery cartoon on your opponent's card, or dress up in your favourite sports garb.

Large text guides are available.

This exhibition features cartoons that discuss war, domestic violence, racism and death. There are images of smoking.

Behind the Lines 2024

Our annual exhibition of political cartooning.

Location

When