A Herald-Sun article about Melbourne being a cultural backwater, with its saving grace being Aboriginal Art.
Quoted from the article:
Melbourne is a cultural backwater far beneath cities such as Paris and London, foreign art experts say. If not for Aboriginal art, we would be complete philistines, some said.
Others singled out Federation Square and Docklands as eyesores.
About 700 art museum chiefs and scholars from 47 countries visited Melbourne last week for the 32nd International Committee of the History of Art congress.
Many applauded our sports-loving city’s hospitality and multiculturalism, but said Melbourne was no Paris, London, New York or Berlin.
A Herald Sun survey of 15 art academics found many believed Melbourne lacked artistic and aesthetic depth.