In 2021, cutting-edge digital gallery the Lume launched its immersive Van Gogh exhibition, which projected the Dutch Impressionist's work across the walls of a 3,000 square-metre space. Instead of looking at small, framed paintings on the wall, visitors could basically step right into the paintings, with scents and sounds pumped into the gallery for further immersion.
Sadly, the smash-hit exhibition is drawing to a close – but Melburnians need not fret. On October 26, Van Gogh is due to be replaced by Monet and Friends Alive, an exhibition encompassing the work of Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Manet and more. And that's not all; if you're overdue for a road trip, you can make your way to the cavernous, subterranean hall of the Cutaway in Barangaroo for a multi-sensory Frida Kahlo experience.
The blockbuster exhibition was co-created by the Frida Kahlo Foundation and Spanish digital arts company Layers of Reality, and visitors can expect 360-degree projections, live traditional Mexican music, captivating holography and a virtual reality system. While there, you can create your own flower crowns, turn your drawings into Frida-esque artwork and immortalise yourself through a souvenir illustration.
Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon will kick off on January 4, and you can learn more here.