Best Immersive Art Experiences in Melbourne (2024)
Photo Credit: Leonardo Da Vinci at THE LUME
2024 is an exciting year for immersive art in Melbourne, Australia.
In recent years, Melbourne has cemented itself as a leading hub for immersive art in the Asia-Pacific region. With its vibrant arts scene and culture of innovation, Melbourne has become home to some of the most creative immersive art installations in the world.
New exhibitions are constantly popping up, showcasing the latest in multi-sensory, interactive technologies.
In this blog post I'll highlight some of the unmissable immersive art experiences currently worth visiting in Melbourne. From the Instagram-worthy to the thought-provoking, Melbourne’s immersive art scene has something for everyone.
I have written other articles about immersive art in other cities, such as London, Paris, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. In a recent blog post, I wrote about the rise in popularity of immersive art exhibitions, that you may find interesting.
Table of Contents
1. Leonardo Da Vinci at THE LUME Melbourne
2. BBC Earth Experience in Melbourne
1. Leonardo Da Vinci at THE LUME in Melbourne
Address: THE LUME Melbourne, 5 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne
Opens on 16th March 2024
THE LUME Melbourne is currently the world’s largest permanent digital art gallery and is hosting an immersive experience, Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius.
Photo Credit: Leonardo Da Vinci at THE LUME
The exhibition explores the life of Leonardo da Vinci, featuring his masterpieces and machine inventions, providing a unique and groundbreaking encounter with his art.
Visitors will be able to step inside Leonardo’s famous artworks such as Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, presented on a colossal canvas at The LUME Melbourne.
Experience the only exact 360° replica of the Mona Lisa, revealing discoveries made over 15 years using multispectral camera technology by French Optical Engineer Pascal Cotte.
The presentation goes beyond traditional museum settings, allowing an intimate encounter with the grandeur and intricacies of Leonardo’s masterpieces.
The exhibit includes 50 machine inventions crafted by Italian artisans from Rome’s Museo Leonardo da Vinci. These inventions, based on Leonardo’s sketches, predate human flight by over 400 years, showcasing his visionary concepts.
2. BBC Earth Experience in Melbourne
Open until 28th April 2024
Child tickets (3-14) start at $24.90, and adult tickets start at $39.90
Immerse in the natural world through the BBC Earth Experience in Melbourne, featuring narration by David Attenborough and breathtaking footage from Seven Worlds, One Planet. The immersive journey spans all seven continents.
Photo Credit: Michelle Grace Hunder
BBC Earth Experience in Melbourne utilises the latest digital screen technology for an immersive experience. Breakout zones include Water World, Vista Stage, and Micro Life, all portrayed on screens.
3. ArtVo in Melbourne
Address: ArtVo, 26 Star Crescent, Level 1, District Docklands, Docklands Vic 3008
Opening hours are from 10am - 4pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 10am - 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Prices range from $20 to $30 for individuals and $63 to $88 for families
ArtVo is Australia’s first immersive ‘trick-art’ gallery, providing a unique experience where visitors can interact with and become part of the artwork. It opened in 2016 at The District Docklands, Melbourne.
This is a self-guided gallery that is suitable for all ages, featuring optical illusions and interactive experiences. The current theme - Fantasy - includes exploration of ocean, polar ice caps, space, and the forest.
Visitors will come face to face with wild animals, scale rocky crevasses, and more. Visitors are encouraged to touch and interact with the art, take photos, and become part of the artwork.
4. Melbourne Planetarium
Address: Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood, Victoria, 3015
Open 10am - 4.30pm daily
Tickets cost $15 for adults with children up to 16 going free.
Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring world of the night sky at Melbourne Planetarium, Scienceworks, through full-dome projections, surround sound, and informative shows for a unique and entertaining astronomical experience.
Melbourne Planetarium Features: a 16m domed ceiling, with reclining seats, 7.1 surround sound, and full-dome video projection system. Visitors will experience spectacular colour and movement providing a unique immersive environment.
The Planetarium Shows run for 30–45 minutes, presenting the current night sky and major astronomical objects.
5. Unko Museum in Melbourne
Address: Unko Museum, 360 Bourke St Melbourne 3000, Australia
The exhibit is open for sessions throughout the day, starting as early as 11am and extending to 9pm.
Ticket prices are $28.00 per adult, $21.00 for children (3-15).
The Unko Museum in Melbourne provides a fun and interactive exhibit with cute and colourful poop decor imported directly from Japan.
The museum is translated as the ‘Cute Poop Museum’ and features installations, displays, and immersive attractions centred around the theme of adorable poop, creating a whimsical and eccentric atmosphere.
Designed for all ages, the uniquely themed rooms aim to spark joy and laughter in every family member, offering a playful adventure for both the young and the young at heart.
The exhibit includes multiple zones with entertaining attractions, such as chasing projected poop images and trying your luck at the Crappy Game Corner.
6. Rain Room, Jackalope Pavilion in Melbourne
Address: Jackalope Pavilion, Cnr Acland & Jackson Sts, St Kilda, Melbourne
Open until the end of March 2024
Sessions are available on Wednesday and Thursday, 10am - 5pm, Friday and Saturday, 10am - 9.30pm, and Sunday, 10am - 7:30pm.
Tickets from $19
Rain Room is a monumental and interactive art installation that seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology with the raw beauty of nature.
Originally introduced by the renowned art collective Random International, Rain Room offers an emotive experience that challenges visitors to reconsider their connection to the environment.
Brought to Australia in August 2019 as part of Jackalope Hotel’s ambitious art collection, this immersive masterpiece occupies a specially designed Pavilion in St Kilda.
Rain Room recreates a continuous rainfall, responding dynamically to the presence and movement of visitors. The result is an extraordinary encounter with an intense rainstorm, all while remaining completely sheltered from its forces.
7. Metartworld in Melbourne
Address: Metartworld, 155 Boundary Street, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207
Ticket prices are from $40 per adult and $30 for children
Metartworld is the largest metal art gallery in Australia, featuring unique artworks from international artists.
Photo Credit: Metartworld
There are over 12+ themed exhibitions covering various interests, including anime, movies, animals, military, cars, motorcycles, and princesses.
The Fantasy Starry Sky exhibition on the second floor combines advanced technology with light and shadows, providing a blockbuster movie-like experience.
The themed spaces offer a 360° immersive tunnel, a bright 5D starry sky, and the feeling of roaming freely in the universe. Each art piece is interactive, allowing visitors to take pictures, touch, hold, sit, ride, and drive them.
8. Chaos Lab in Melbourne
Chaos Lab in Melbourne offers a fun and creative experience for children, featuring interactive rooms with activities like a slime station, ball pit, UV area, and live science experiments. The chaos-themed lab is designed for kids to unleash their creativity.
Activities include:
Slime Station: An interactive room dedicated to slime, promising endless fun.
Ball Pit: A playful area for kids to enjoy.
UV Area: A section with UV-themed activities.
Live Science Experiments: The lab offers hands-on experiments for children.
I hope you have found this blog post useful. If you have visited any Immersive Art Exhibitions in Melbourne that you think I should include here, please email me at [email protected].
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