Kids love THE LUME Melbourne, an immersive digital art gallery

Step into THE LUME Melbourne, Australia’s first permanent digital art gallery which transforms the world’s finest art into fully immersive sensory encounters.

Watch the walls come alive as light ripples across every surface and masterpieces awaken your senses. Curated tastes, aromas and a choreographed soundtrack add thrilling new dimensions to this 360-degree experience.

Art and culture have been displayed and enjoyed around the world for centuries – but never like this

The tradition of tiptoeing through intimidating silent galleries and viewing paintings from afar is forgotten. You will find yourself interacting with art in ways you never imagined. From the moment you enter, a powerful and vibrant symphony of light, colour, sound and aroma compels you to leave the world behind and immerse yourself in the artwork’s display – an experience that is simultaneously enchanting, entertaining and educational.

Wander, play, dance and marvel as every surface becomes an animated canvas: floors, walls and guests alike. Be transported as familiar landscapes become moving images that tower four storeys tall, while you wine and dine in the heart of the gallery. Create your own journey, linger where you please and be delighted by new perspectives on iconic artworks by Vincent van Gogh, perfect for the whole family to explore.

The Experience

Interpretive and Educational Areas

The interpretive area of THE LUME is a great accompaniment to the immersive gallery, providing comprehensive information conveyed in a more traditional way about the art, life and times of Vincent van Gogh.

The Bedroom

The Bedroom is a life-size representation of van Gogh’s famous artwork Bedroom in Arles, inspired by his actual bedroom at 2 Place Lamartine in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France, known as the Yellow House. Guests are welcome to enter the bedroom and become part of a lifesize, 3D painting.

The Sunflower Room

The vibrant Sunflower Room is a modern interpretation of Van Gogh’s works. As you enter the room, you will be awed by a field of sunflowers mirrored through a never-ending horizon.

The Studio

Guests can harness their inner artist in The Studio. The Studio features two alternating video tutorials, demonstrating how to recreate Van Gogh’s masterpieces, line by line. Guests stand at an easel, providing an immersive artist’s experience as they replicate the artwork on paper.

THE LUME Digital Arts Program

THE LUME Digital Arts Program aims to foster and celebrate the talent of established and emerging digital media artists in Australia by providing a highly visible, powerful showcase on the world stage. Select artists and collectives are invited to create a short piece showcasing original digital art. There are currently three inaugural featurettes to accompany the Van Gogh experience at THE LUME: COLOURFUL DREAM by 77 Productions – a mesmerising and abstract elemental (fluid and earth) dream sequence about Van Gogh creating and preparing his paints for his creative exploration; INSIDE OUT by Harrison Grant – a surrealist journey through time and space; and OUR STARRY NIGHT by Ross Calia – an immersive dance film which is inspired by the ‘Emu in the Sky’ constellation, and the deep and complex connection Indigenous Australians have with astronomical phenomena.

THE LUME is not an exhibition, but rather a fully integrated multi-sensory experience that stimulates all the senses and opens the mind, inspiring the next generation of mini artists.

This article was produced in partnership with The Lume and is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive. Be the first to see more exclusive online content by subscribing to the enewsletter here.

All images © THE LUME

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