The Art Gallery of New South Wales has been revealed as the purchaser of Australia's most expensive painting sold at auction, Sidney Nolan's First Class Marksman.  The painting was knocked down to a telephone bidder on Thursday night - 25th March - at the Menzies Art Brands auction for a hammer price of Aus$4.5 million ($5.4 million including buyer's premium) against an estimate of $3 - 5 million.

Concrete Forest, an artwork comprising 36 concrete human busts each incised with a delicate foliage design created by Beijing born artist Ah Xian, has won the $50,000 Clemenger 2009 Art Award.

This highly prestigious exhibition and prize was established by Joan and Peter Clemenger in 1991 through a generous gift to the National Gallery of Victoria.  Presented as a series of triennials, this is the sixth and final award in the series.