Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)

An eyebrow-raising experience
Noteworthy for: The gallery received an AUD 53 million makeover in 2012, gaining 50 percent more space.
Word to the wise: For an interesting night out, sign up for ARTBAR - curated by artists, this event on the last Friday of each month flips the gallery experience on its head through art, music, design and performance.
Housed in the Art Deco-style former Maritime Services Board building overlooking Sydney Harbour, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is one of the best places in central Sydney to escape for a reflective moment.
The gallery's constantly-rotating exhibitions range from the controversial (Maurizio Cattelan's 'Novecento' saw a dead horse suspended from the gallery's roof in 2008) to the explicit (guests were invited to strip off for a gallery tour in April 2012 with Melbourne artist Stuart Ringholt - who was also nude) but the real drawcard here is 'Volume One: MCA Collection', an entire floor dedicated to the works of more than 170 contemporary Australian artists including Tracey Moffatt and Daniel Boyd.

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