Everyone in Melbourne has heard of the mysterious Flinders Street Station Ballroom, but few have seen it. The once grand hall has hosted lectures, a library, fitness classes and (of course) dances, but has been closed to the public since 1985. But it's coming back to life for Rising festival, with leading contemporary artist and Melbourne local Patricia Piccinini turning the near-mythic space into an immersive, hyperreal installation.
A Miracle Constantly Repeated has Piccinini transform the enigmatic ballroom into an uncanny art ecosystem filled with large-scale dioramas, huge foliage, sentient saplings and nurturing marine mammals. Those familiar with the artist's work will know what to expect, but for those who aren't, you'll meet some unusual creatures that blur the lines between human and beast.
Piccinini is one of Australia's foremost artists, with a knack for hyperrealistic sculptures that are contemporaneously unsettling and also inviting, with their innate sense of empathy. The work is expected to complement the magnificent existing architecture of the ballroom and also offer visitors the chance to explore the adjoining hidden rooms that are rarely seen.
A Miracle Constantly Repeated was such a hot ticket exhibition that its original dates for Rising sold out almost immediately. Luckily, it's been extended, with the exhibition now running until mid January 2022.
