Immersive experiences at heart of Powerhouse Parramatta grand opening

Powerhouse Parramatta is set to open its doors on November 7, promising visitors a deeply immersive experience with a diverse range of attractions. Among the highlights will be a striking crystal tunnel set within a meteorite-like installation, a disorienting maze of mirrors, and a vintage Qantas plane. The museum is currently working on installing over 3,000 objects sourced globally, aiming to present its collection in innovative ways.

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We're able to create these exhibitions that people will really be able to immerse themselves in. It's also about presenting the collection in new ways as well.

The museum's program includes five major immersive works by British artist Es Devlin. Her piece 'The Turning' features 'The Forest of Us,' a labyrinth of mirrors designed to evoke striking visual symmetries between trees and human lungs, encouraging visitors to get lost within its light-filled passages. Another Devlin installation, 'Memory Palace,' will offer an immersive 3D cityscape, while 'Collective Portrait' will invite visitors to engage in creating portraits of strangers.

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The Dark can be wondrous. There's no need to be scared.

For younger audiences, 'The Dark' exhibition promises a wondrous exploration of darkness, set within a meteorite-inspired structure. This exhibit will showcase over 800 objects, including an impressive minerals collection, and explore different perspectives of darkness, from deep space to the human body. Notably, it will also display cherished personal objects loaned by 100 children from Western Sydney, sharing the stories behind each item.

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There's a crystal tunnel, there are objects that make noise. There are different perspectives of how you imagine the dark, whether it's deep into space, deep underwater or deep in your body.

Additionally, 'Overflow,' a First Nations-led exhibition, will utilize films by acclaimed director Ivan Sen to explore Aboriginal custodianship of New South Wales' waterways. This exhibition aims to highlight cultural practices that support species protection, flood mitigation, sustainable fishing, and water quality. Powerhouse CEO Lisa Havilah emphasized the new space's flexibility, enabling large-scale installations and unique exhibition formats that allow visitors to truly immerse themselves.

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We did a call-out and 100 kids … have loaned us their most special object. So there's a whole room with these 100 objects, but also the stories behind each of [them].