A major new museum opening in Western Sydney will invite visitors to “walk on water” as part of an immersive exhibition exploring the region’s rivers and Aboriginal custodianship.
Powerhouse Parramatta will open to the public on Saturday, Nov. 7, beside the Parramatta River. The museum’s five opening exhibitions will include more than 3,000 objects sourced from its collection and institutions around the world.
The wider $915 million (AUD) project includes the new museum, a collection storage facility at Castle Hill and the digitization and preservation of more than 371,000 objects, according to the New South Wales government.
Four of the museum’s five opening exhibitions will be free. The fifth, an aerospace exhibition called Task Eternal, will require a ticket for visitors aged 16 and older, although the price has not yet been announced. All five exhibitions will be free for children under 16.
Overflow Creates a Path Through Water
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The First Nations-led Overflow exhibition will feature a moving platform designed around water. Powerhouse CEO Lisa Havilah told ABC News that the large installation would allow visitors to “walk on water.”
Films by Kamilaroi filmmaker Ivan Sen will share the work of seven Aboriginal-led organizations caring for saltwater and freshwater systems across New South Wales. Topics will include flood mitigation, endangered species protection, fishing, water monitoring and cultural water rights.
Visitors Can Enter a Mirror Maze and Crystal Tunnel
Other opening displays will be just as immersive. The Dark, designed for children ages 4 to 12, will transform its gallery into a bedroom, forest, crystal tunnel and imagined land of giants. More than 800 objects will be displayed inside, and the hope for the exhibit is for children to become less afraid of the dark.
Es Devlin: The Turning will include Forest of Us, a light-filled mirror labyrinth comparing the branching structures of trees with those inside human lungs. It will be the British artist’s first exhibition in Australia.
A Moon Rock and Steve Jobs’ Jeans Are Coming Too
Task Eternal will explore humanity’s attempts to fly and travel into space. Highlights include a NASA moon rock, Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of flying machines and a replica of the first aircraft to carry the Qantas name.
The two-story exhibition, The Mall, will examine shopping centers through architecture, fashion and technology. Its objects will include Steve Jobs’ Levi’s 501 jeans, early barcode designs, vintage arcade games, a bitcoin mining rig, and more.
Powerhouse Parramatta is located on Phillip Street in Parramatta, New South Wales. Additional ticketing information is expected before the November opening.