You’ve put it off and put it off. You thought you had plenty of time. But suddenly you’ve realised that the NGV Triennial, which is free and only happens every three years, closes this Sunday. You’ve seen the Instagrams of the banana taped to the wall, and you think you remember something about a robot dog.

First, some housekeeping. The first rule of seeing the Triennial is don’t try to see all of the Triennial. The show spans 120 artists, designers and collectives, spread across four levels and countless spaces. If you attempt to see it all, you’ll end up tired, grouchy and with a camera roll full of artwork you haven’t really looked at. Don’t do this. Instead, plan ahead, take your time, and don’t underestimate the restorative power of the Great Hall’s beanbags.

If you’re going to the Triennial in its last weekend, this is how to make the most of it.

If you have an hour or less

The good news is that you can see many of the Triennial’s buzziest artworks without ever leaving the ground floor. The key here is to keep your visit tight: after passing David Shrigley’s monumental thumbs-up and glimpsing Julian Charrière’s fiery video work through the water wall, turn right at Thomas J Price’s giant figurative sculptures, and begin your journey.

In the right-hand wing of the gallery, you’ll find the gaffer-taped banana, officially known as Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan, as well as Agnieszka Pilat’s deeply unsettling robot dogs (who may or may not be painting self-portraits). Whip around back through Federation Court and head past the café into the left-hand wing: highlights here include Hugh Hayden’s eerie installation The End, John Gerrard’s arresting video work Flare (Oceania) and Azuma Makoto’s lovely floral vitrines.

Don’t miss the talking mouse as you exit through the gift shop, where any number of banana-emblazoned products are available to commemorate your visit.