Kiwi Culture Vultures - Head to Melbourne

Kiwi Culture Vultures - Head to Melbourne

Beat the winter blues and head to Melbourne for a colourful line-up of cultural events. From Australasian exclusive exhibitions to unique light displays and historic street art, Melbourne has culture vultures covered this winter.

WINTER MASTERPIECES

Melbourne is home to the Australasian-exclusive Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series.

David Bowie is
Celebrating its 12th year, Winter Masterpieces features the highly anticipated and eye-popping David Bowie is exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). Direct from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, this ground-breaking multimedia experience brings together 50 years of fashion, music, film and video from one of the world’s most iconic performers. Featuring legendary costumes, original stage set designs, handwritten lyric sheets, album artwork, rare film, video, photographs and interviews with collaborators, the exhibition showcases Bowie’s impact as a live performer and screen star. Tickets are available to book online now for this strictly limited-season exhibition.

Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great
Winding the clock back further in time, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) will feature more than 400 works from the personal collection of Russia’s greatest female ruler – and renowned artistic visionary. Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great includes paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian and Van Dyck as well as exquisite decorative arts such as a 60-piece Sèvres dinner service.

David Bowie is
Where: ACMI, Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne
When: 16 July 2015 – 1 November 2015

Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great
Where: NGV, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
When: 31 July 2015 – 8 November 2015

WW1 CENTENARY EXHIBITION

Coinciding with the ANZAC Centenary, Melbourne Museum plays host to a remarkable exhibition from the Imperial War Museums in the UK. The WW1 Centenary Exhibition tells the story of the Great War through film, rare artefacts, artworks, images and an immersive recreation of life in the trenches.

The WW1 Centenary Exhibition
Where: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
When: 16 April 2015 – 4 October 2015

ANNUAL MELBOURNE ART EXTRAVAGANZAS

Celebrating the International Year of Light, Melbourne’s Federation Square will alight for The Light in Winter. Featuring a dazzling program the festival brings together local and international artists for nightly free to the public events, performances, exhibitions and the much-loved Solstice Celebration including lasers, campfires and song.

Also making the most of the twilight hours, Nite Art is a one-night art spectacular that brings together the work of more than 60 artists across more than 30 sites in the city, Southbank and University of Melbourne. Kicking off at 6pm and running into the wee hours, Nite Art features photography, installations, painting, new media, performances and art walks in galleries, museums and hidden spaces usually closed to the public.

Open House Melbourne then throws open the doors on dozens more unique and significant spaces over the weekend. From elaborate historic buildings to modern sustainable design, the event lets visitors discover the city’s best architecture through site visits, talks and tours, many of them free.

The Light in Winter
Where: Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne
When: 1 June 2015 – 22 June 2015

Nite Art
Where: Various sites across eight Melbourne precincts
When: 23 July 2015

Open House Melbourne
Where: Melbourne CBD
When: 25 July 2015 – 26 July 2015

MELBOURNE WALKING ART TOURS

For visitors who like their art mobile, there are several walking tour companies that specialise in uncovering Melbourne’s beating cultural heart.Walk to Art and Art Aficionado tours explore the city’s contemporary art galleries, artist-run spaces and public art, while Melbourne Street Art Tours is run by street artists themselves and can provide technical know-how on the mind-boggling array of spray painting, stencil art and paste-ups for which Melbourne is internationally recognised.

Walk to Art
Where: Various sites across Melbourne CBD
When: Every Saturday and Monday

Art Aficionado
Where: 66 Bourke Street, Melbourne
When: Every Friday and Saturday

Melbourne Street Art Tours
Where: Various sites across Melbourne CBD
When: Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

ends

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