Wonderland

Wonderland is the latest exhibition by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces, as well as being a World Premiere. It is officially opened from 5th April until the 7th October.

"Explore the curious, embrace the absurd, believe in the impossible" from ACMI curator Jessica Bram, who worked up to almost two years pulling this exhibition together with Sarah Tutton (another curator) with a team of creatives.

^ Alice in Wonderland, 1910, down the rabbit hole.

The exhibition takes you on an interactive adventure as soon as you open the first door, plus don't forget to pick up your Lost Map of Wonderland, to unlock little animations throughout. Keep a look out for small draws for other hidden Alice gems. 

^ A small selection of what can be found in Wonderland.

You will find more than 300 unique pieces from around the world including film posters to original concept work, even costumes from Tim Burton's 2010 film version, animation cells and props. There is also a digital Mad Hatter's Tea Party which runs for about 4 minutes which was quite interesting with how they incorporated moving visuals to create a different experience. 

Lewis Carroll's vision came to life in the first screen adaptation in 1903 by Cecil M Hepworth, a British film maker and has since been in over 40 films and 30 television programs. Alice has remained an inspiration and an iconic figure in literature.

T2 are a principle sponsor for this exhibition and very fitting. They have created a limited edition tea to go with Wonderland. It is called Mad Choc Berry and smells delicious. Another great purchase would be the catalogue from Thames and Hudson, especially if you are a collector and interested in art & film. 

It was like falling down the rabbit hole and exploring wonderland. The interpretations of Alice in all sorts of forms including, puppetry and stop motion from all cultures was surreal and worth seeing.