The best art and exhibitions in Melbourne this month

Italian polymath, painter, inventor and astounding genius Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most celebrated artists and scientists of all time, yet seeing his works is typically out of reach for the average Aussie. Well, all that’s about to change thanks to the Lume Melbourne’s new immersive experience opening on March 16. 

Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius will feature massive projections of some of the world’s most famous works of art, including the ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’. These four-storey high projections showcase da Vinci’s breathtaking Renaissance paintings in a way that’s much more accessible than a trip to the Louvre. 

Alongside da Vinci’s visually stunning artworks, this exhibition will also focus on his excellence as an inventor with ideas far beyond his era. His pioneering work in architecture and engineering laid the foundation for the technology we enjoy today. That’s why alongside his art, the exhibition will also feature groundbreaking inventions from his notebooks recreated to scale by Italian artisans, including flying machine concepts that predate human flight by more than 400 years. 

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, for the first time in history, original pages of da Vinci’s sketches and writings will touch down in Australia. The Codex Atlanticus is a 500-year-old collection of Leonardo’s innermost workings, previously displayed in the likes of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre. Now, Melburnians and visitors alike will be able to examine these precious pages with their very own eyes. In fact, these pages are so priceless that they can only come out for three months at a time, before returning to Milan to recover in the dark for three years. 

The immersive experience will also feature pioneering research more than 15 years in the making by French optical engineer Pascal Cotte, a consultant to the Louvre. He has scanned the 'Mona Lisa' with his 240,000,000 pixel multispectral camera, peeling back the layers of her storied smile to reveal 25 previously hidden details about the famous work.

“The results shatter many myths and alter our vision of Leonardo's masterpiece forever,” says Cotte. His exact 360-degree replica of the framed painting is the only one of its kind in the world.  

While you're there, don't forget to check out the cutting-edge AI and VR interactive technologies that breathe life into da Vinci's iconic work, as well as grabbing a bite at the exquisite Renaissance-themed culinary experience in Caffè Medici.

Once the exhibition is open, sessions start from 10am seven days a week, most days of the year. Tickets are $39.90 for concession holders, $49.90 for adults, $29.90 for kids and $129.90 for families. Children under four years of age are free and tickets are available here.

Hungry for more artistic inspiration? Here are the best art and exhibitions in Melbourne this month.

It’s no exaggeration to say that hair has been imbued with cultural significance since time immemorial. Sure, it’s a biological reality with practical functions like regulating our body temperature and keeping debris from getting into various nooks and crannies, but hair means so much more than that in contemporary society.

A new exhibition opening at the Heide Museum of Modern Art on May 4 is centered around the social significance of our strands. Hair Pieces will bring together artworks spanning five decades from nine different countries in an effort to interrogate the ways in which hair is figuratively interwoven with social mores. More than 30 artists from countries including China, Belgium, Japan, South America and Australia will be shown in the exhibition, which will run through until October 2024. 

Hair has long been tied up in deeply held ideas around gender, beauty, feminism, mythology, status and power. Through an impressive collection of Australian and international art, Hair Pieces seeks to tease out these ideas to question stereotypes.

‘Untitled (Facial Hair Transplant)’ is a work by Cuban American performance artist Ana Medieta, and is sure to be an exhibition highlight. As a 1970s exercise in experimentation, the work shows Medieta methodically glueing strands of her friend’s beard to her own upper lip. 

Belgian artist Edith Dekyndt’s video work ‘Indigenous Shadow’ promises to be another exhibition standout. Visitors will see what appears to be a flag created from strands of black human hair, commemorating the place where a merchant ship carrying enslaved people ran aground. 

Hair Pieces will show at the Heide Museum of Modern Art from May 4 until October 6. Admission is included in the price of museum entry, which is $25 for adults and $20 for concession holders. More information is available on the museum website.

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Want more exhibition inspo? Check out the best art and exhibitions in Melbourne this month 

If you spend any time on Pinterest, Instagram or really just out and about in the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that the mid century modern aesthetic is having a big ol’ moment in Australia. From architecture and art to furniture and colour palettes, everything mid-century is once again en vogue.

What better timing then, for the Art Gallery of Ballarat to host a multidisciplinary exhibition that will take you on a trip to the striking mid-century neighbourhoods of the Californian Coachella Desert. Lost in Palm Springs will bring together fourteen internationally recognised photographers and creatives from the United States and Australia to capture and reimagine the distinctive yet enchanting nature of the famous Californian resort city.

As Ballarat enters its coldest season, Melburnians are invited to take the short train trip to get a taste of summer and a glimpse into the magical qualities of Palm Springs. You might even learn that this desert destination has more in common with Aussie suburbs than you think. The exhibition, which was developed by the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts, explores the link between the post-war ‘great Australian dream’ of mass affordable housing, and the sprawling mid-century architectural imaginings seen in Palm Springs.

Lost in Palm Springs will feature works from acclaimed creators, including Aussies Kate Ballis, Tom Blachford, Anna Carey, Sam Cranstoun, Paul Davies, Rosi Griffin, Vicki Stravrou, Robyn Sweaney and Gosia Wlodarczak. Alongside this local art, visitors will also be treated to works from US artists Darren Bradley, Jim Isermann, Troy Kudlac, Lance O’Donnell and Kim Stringfellow.

For three nights in winter, the gallery will also team up with the legends at OK Motels for Art Late, a series of nighttime parties featuring food, music and a “California-style experience” – which sounds like a great way of keeping warm to us.

Discover the unusual charm of mid-century architecture in Palm Springs and beyond at the Art Gallery of Ballarat from May 4 until September 1. Entry to the gallery is free and you can learn more about Lost in Palm Springs at the gallery website.

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Feeling arty? Here are the best exhibitions happening in and around Melborune right now

The colourful creatures that make up ACMI’s latest, world premiere exhibition burst to life from a single drawn line, before growing and changing right before your eyes. The more you move and interact in the space, the more animated these curious characters will get, morphing between forms and textures for a hyperreal experience.  

Beings is the name of this innovative exhibition, which will open from May 22 and stick around until September 29. The name refers to the friendly digital critters seemingly ‘living’ in the exhibition’s large-scale digital screens, just waiting for you to come and play. These generative digital artworks are constantly changing, which means no two people will see the same exhibition, and each time you visit will also be unique.

So, how do these joyful (and seemingly magical) creatures remain so responsive to their environment? The technology behind Beings is an impressive mix of video game engines, evolving algorithms and visual effects software usually used in film. All these fancy technologies combine to produce what promises to be a bunch of fun lil’ (or not that little) guys who want to hang out and play, becoming more active in response to your presence. 

The folks behind this exhibition are a UK-based art and design collective called Universal Everything. They specialise in “soulful technology” and they’ve created 13 brand-new artworks for this premiere curated by ACMI. 

Beings is suitable for all ages, so you can bring along the whole fam. Tickets will go on sale via the ACMI website once available, and prices range from $7-20. 

Can't wait until May? Here are the best exhibition happening right now.

The largest-ever exhibition of fashion from the African continent to hit Australia is setting up shop at the National Gallery of Victoria at the end of May. Africa Fashion is an exhibition from London’s top-notch Victoria & Albert Museum, showcasing almost 200 works created by more than 50 designers, from more than 20 countries. 

Expect to be dazzled by the depth and breadth of this collection of couture, body adornments, ready-to-wear fashions and behind-the-scenes materials like photography and film. Africa Fashion is part historical survey and part contemporary showcase, featuring visually arresting garments from icons of twentieth century African fashion (including Kofi Ansah, Chris Seydou and Shade Thomas-Fahm) and contemporary designers alike (including Thebe Magugu, Moshions and  Imane Ayissi.

The exhibition starts with a focus on the African independence movement, highlighting the importance of fashion as part of the cultural renaissance seen in the ‘50s and ‘60s, where self-representation and agency were key. Next, Africa Fashion turns the spotlight to the contemporary work of cutting-edge creatives and Africa’s present day dynamic fashion culture.

The NGV has also published a public call out to Australia’s African diaspora, seeking family photos and home movies from Africa’s independence and liberation years. These images and stories may then be used in and around the exhibition. 

Africa Fashion curator Dr Christine Checinska says she’s looking forward to sharing a glimpse of the “glamour and politics” of African fashion with Melburnians. 

“The African fashion scene is as diverse as the continent itself – there is a sense of abundance rather than lack, an unbounded creativity, and an exercising of agency that for me is really engaging.”

Africa Fashion will show at the NGV from May 31 until October 6. Tickets range from $10 to $25. Find out more or grab your tickets here. 

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Feeling arty? Check out the best art and exhibitions in Melbourne right now. 

The Immigration Museum on Flinders Street is getting its first major exhibition in several years and it’s all about leaning into what makes us happy. The exhibition, called Joy, opens on Friday, March 1 and will run through until August 29, 2024.

Joy features seven brand new commissioned installations from leading Victorian-based creatives, each expressing the artists’ own personal joy. You can expect an emotive adventure where colour and storytelling combine, and big happy moments that sit alongside more reflective ones.

Experience the vibrant power of joy as you walk amongst room-sized interactive artworks, or contribute your own joy with the collaborative ‘share your joy’ wall.

Venezuelan-born Australian artist Nadia Hernández has filled the Immigration Museum’s hallway with bold collage works, ‘future positive’ fashion designer Nixi Killick has created a ‘joy generator’ and queer artist Spencer Harrison has created a runway where you can strut your stuff.

Jazz Money, a Wiradjuri poet and artist, has fused sculpture, audio and mural for a work reflecting the history of the museum site, while local artist Beci Orpin has taken over a room with a giant toy rabbit made to be hugged. Afghanistan-Australian visual artist and poet Elyas Alavi and Sher Ali have also created a large-scale mural illustrating a Persian myth. 

Lastly, much-loved pop artist and designer Callum Preston has constructed a full-scale replica of a nineties video store, a joy he never thought he would miss until he realised it was gone.

Entry to Joy is included in the museum’s entry price, which is $15 for adults, $10 for kids and free for children and concession holders. Find out more and get tickets here.

Want more? Check out the best art and exhibitions in Melbourne this month.

For most of us, Lego is a nostalgic hobby from bygone childhood years, but there are an exceptional few who took these tiny building blocks from a fun pastime to the next level. Lego artist Nathan Sawaya is one of these talented individuals who is showcasing his fascinating sculptures with a new exhibition that has to be seen to be believed. 

The Art of the Brick Immersive Experience exhibition features more than 100 contemporary artworks, all crafted using more than one million Lego bricks to make large-scale, life-like creations. 

After a sold-out season back in 2011, it's returning to our city as part of a huge world tour with brand new pieces, having already visited 100 cities across 24 countries. Sawaya is the only person in the world who has the double title of Lego Master Model Builder and Lego Certified Professional. Whoa. 

Some of the works showcased in the exhibition include a giant version of Sawaya's most famous sculpture, 'Yellow', which stands at more than six feet tall, plus an installation with 250 kinetic Lego skulls, a piece called 'Infinity Rainbow' that features seven life-sized sculptures, the 30-foot long 'Big Swimmer', dazzling 360-degree digital projections and lots more.

The Art of the Brick Immersive Experience opens on April 14 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Tickets go on sale on March 21 at 7pm, and you can sign up for the waitlist here. Find out more about the exhibition at the website. 

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We all know the story of the Afghan Girl. The searing portrait of an anonymous Afghan child with a pair of wildly green eyes has stood the test of time and war – its beauty, mystery and ability to wordlessly capture of the pain of a nation are all things that have struck a chord with millions of people since it was published by National Geographic back in 1985. 

This groundbreaking snapshot is the work of American photographer Steve McCurry, whose vivid shots of the most colourful and obscure people and corners of the world have been seen in more places than most of us can count. And now, they’re all on the way to Melbourne. 

As of February 28, Melbourne will become home to one of the most complete retrospectives of McCurry’s work ever seen. Named Icons, the exhibition will feature more than 100 large-format photographs of McCurry’s most famous images, including (of course), the portrait of Sharbat Gula, otherwise known as the 'Afghan Girl'.

This exhibition gives Melburnians the chance to wander through time, history and the most remote corners of the world. Get transported to a desert in Jordan, a dust storm in rural India, an oil field in ‘90s Kuwait, and a silent green river in Kashmir – along with a whole host of other wild and wonderful places. No matter where you go with McCurry, humanity – in all its complex, beautiful contradictions – is always the protagonist. 

All of this visceral travel will be going down at Seaworks Maritime Precinct in Williamstown from February 28 to May 19. Prices start from $29 for adults and $19 for children. Kids aged nine or younger can enter for free. Tickets are on sale from Tuesday, Feb 6 at 6pm – get yours or join the waitlist here.

Plan your next day out with our guide to the best art and exhibitions in Melbourne this month. 

The eighth edition of Melbourne Design Week will bring 11 days of exhibitions, talks and events to the city in late autumn and early winter. More than 300 inventive exhibitions will be presented during the festival, cementing its status as Australia’s largest annual design event.

Each year brings a new theme for Melbourne Design Week and this year’s is ‘Design the world you want’. The theme is designed to encourage exhibitors and audience members alike to ruminate on the role of ecology, energy and ethics in combating complex global challenges. 

Highlights of the program include a keynote speech from Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo, who will speak to her socially responsive urbanism, and a symposium exploring radical speculative designs for the Birrarung (Yarra River). The Melbourne Art Book Fair will also be celebrating its 10th year, and will run its popular stallholder fair in the NGV’s Great Hall during the first weekend of the festival. 

Melbourne Design Week is presented by Creative Victoria and delivered by the NGV. You can view the full festival program and book tickets here.

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You’ve likely seen the ‘Temple of Boom’ standing tall in the NGV Garden, but now there’s a new architectural work set to take shape in the gallery’s outdoor space. Building on a series of annual commissions including the much-loved Pink Pond and the aforementioned colourful Greek-style temple, this year’s NGV Architecture Commission has been announced and it’s sure to be just as breathtaking as its predecessors. However, unlike previous installations, this one will actually be doing the breathing.

Opening on November 23, ‘(This is) Air’ will see a giant inflatable sphere that literally inhales and exhales throughout the day become the centrepiece of the garden. The balloon-like structure will morph throughout the day as it draws in and releases air in a natural rhythm. If you get close enough, you may even get to feel a gust as the sphere ‘exhales’. 

The work will be created by award-winning Australian architect Nic Brunsdon in conjunction with Eness, a St Kilda-based art installation studio. At more than 14 metres tall, ‘(This is) Air’ seeks to make the invisible visible, drawing attention to the significance of the air we breathe. By making air seen, heard and felt, the work will encourage visitors to consider their connection with and dependency on air as a finite resource. 

“The idea for the project was conceived by the architect during the global pandemic, when the air we breathed was suddenly at the forefront of everyone’s mind”, says Ewan McEoin, NGV’s senior curator of contemporary art, design and architecture. “Air can be understood as part of our global economic, social and ecological realities. And yet, the quality of air we breathe varies depending on where and how we live. Air is universal, yet clean air is not.” 

‘(This is) Air’ forms part of the upcoming 2023 NGV Triennial, which will bring together architecture, contemporary art and design with a theme of ‘magic, matter and memory’. Over the summer, the installation will play host to public programs and performances in the NGV Garden.

Want more? Check out Melbourne's best public artworks. Plus, these are the best exhibitions happening this month.

Traversing time and space, Wurrdha Marra is a new exhibition celebrating the diversity of First Nations art and design. From October 12, the ground floor and foyer of the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia will become a dynamic and ever-changing exhibition space that displays masterpieces and never-before-shown works from the NGV’s First Nations collection.

Translating to ‘many mobs’ in the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language, Wurrdha Marra will showcase pieces from emerging and established artists from across Australia, including Tony Abert, Treahna Hamn, Kent Morris, Marlene Gilson, Rover Thomas, Christian Thompson, Gary Lee, Nicole Monks, Gali Yalkarriwuy, Dhambit Mungunggurr, Nonggirrnga Marawili and more. 

Highlights of the free exhibition include a large-scale installation of fish traps produced by Burrara women from Maningrida – the objects have been crafted over weeks using vines from the bush. Also on display is a new collection of contemporary resin boomerangs by Keemon Williams, a First Nations queer artist hailing from Meanjin/Brisbane. Another unseen work is titled History Repeats by Girramay/Yidinji/Kuku Yalanji contemporary artist Tony Albert, who has used mass-produced objects – from tea towels to ashtrays – to reframe Indigenous histories. 

Altogether, the display offers a rich journey through pivotal moments in Australian art history from 65,000 years of First Peoples practices right through to the present day.

Wurrdha Marra will be open from October 12 at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Fed Square. Entry is free, and you can access further information by visiting the NGV website here. 

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Lovers of the written word rejoice; a free exhibition over at the State Library Victoria is spotlighting the history of book design, production and illustration from the Middle Ages to the present day. World of the Book features more than 300 rare, remarkable, historically significant items in the State Collection, each unravelling a unique story from its pages. 

This year’s themes hone in on books and ideas; books and imagination; art and nature; artists and books; and Egyptology to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb. 

Exhibition highlights include a book on astronomy as far back as 336CE, a 17th-century book defaced by cat paw prints, rare editions of Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass on display and an edition of Mary Shelley’s science-friction masterpiece Frankenstein. Printed during the author’s lifetime, it is the first edition to contain a preface where Shelley recounts the story of the novel’s inception: on the shores of Lake Geneva during a thunderstorm where Mary, her husband Percy Shelley and Lord Byron competed with one another to tell the best ghoulish story. 

World of the Book also includes several masterpieces by female writers on show for the first time, such as an embroidered binding that belonged to Henrietta Maria, the Queen Consort married to King Charles I until he was executed. The physicist Émilie du Châtelet’s most recognised achievement, her French translation of Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica, is also featured in the exhibit. 

Running until May 12, 2024, you’ll find World of the Book at the Dome Galleries, Level 4 of the State Library Victoria. For more information, visit the website here.

Love art? Check out what other art exhibitions are happening in Melbourne this month. Plus, these are the most beautiful libraries in Melbourne.

Supported by the City of Melbourne, Flash Forward is Melbourne’s most ambitious street art project, with over 40 large-scale works commissioned and set to hit the laneways of Melbourne.

From Mountjoy’s ‘Your Turn’ on Little Lonsdale Street standing over six metres tall with vibrant pops of colour, through to LING’s gargantuan sculptural piece ‘Crushed Can’ on Wills Street paying homage to the city’s graffiti scene, Flash Forward is encouraging exploration with an element of surprise, as pieces seem to pop up across the city overnight.

If you’re interested in taking yourself on a laneway tour, there’s an interactive and printable map available on the Flash Forward website.