Rebel Heart: Love letters and other declarations

From Cleopatra and Mark Antony to Romeo and Juliet, love has often meant breaking the rules. Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations is a sweeping new exhibition at the State Library that explores love stories from across Australian history - the bold, the forbidden and the deeply personal.

Running for almost a year, the exhibition brings together handwritten letters, private diaries, rare manuscripts and treasured keepsakes to tell stories of passion, heartbreak and devotion.

Visitors will discover Victorian-era same-sex couples who lived together against the odds, a mid-century interracial marriage that challenged the White Australia policy, and the prison romance between bushrangers Captain Moonlight and James Nesbitt.

Among the more unusual items on display is an 1853 mourning brooch woven from a lover's hair, along with letters that read like late-night confessions.

What makes Rebel Heart especially interesting is how it connects past and present. Historical love stories are paired with newly commissioned music from Australian artists including Angie McMahon, Mindy Meng Wang, Mo'Ju and Amos Roach, each inspired by real stories from the library's archives. The exhibition also looks at modern love - from DMs and fandoms to fan fiction and even AI relationships.

It's shaping up to be a thoughtful and fascinating exhibition that shows love has always been a little rebellious.

About the artists

Rebel Heart features powerful new music commissions by Australian artists Angie McMahon, Mindy Meng Wang, Mo'Ju and Amos Roach.

The exhibition also features work by Drew Pettifer, who responds to the story of Captain Moonlight, and work by Paul Knight, who looks to love's future via AI.

Thursday 12th February 2026 - Wednesday 27th January 2027

Cost: Free

Venue: Keith Murdoch Gallery @ State Library of Victoria








 State Library of Victoria View Venue
 328 Swanston Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Map
Advertiser: www.slv.vic.gov.au

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