the spellbinding 'temple of boom' opens to the public in melbourne

celebrating the iconic greek temple, parthenon

Within the Grollo Equiset Garden at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), ‘Temple of Boom’ officially opens to the public, transporting visitors to ancient times by celebrating an architectural icon erected 2,500 years ago on the other side of the world: the Parthenon in Athens. Considered an apex symbol of Western civilization, the historic Greek Temple was evocatively reimagined here in ways that expand its enduring beauty and our understanding of it.

With that said, the eye-catching and multicolored installation invites audiences to consider the effect of time on all architecture as the structure gradually transforms with artworks and murals painted in three phases between November 2022 and August 2023 at the NGV garden.

installation view of the 2022 NGV Architecture Commission: ‘Temple of Boom’ designed by Adam Newman & Kelvin Tsang on display at NGV International, Melbourne from 22.11.2022 – 08.2023 | image © Sean Fennessy

‘temple of boom’, a project by Adam Newman & Kelvin Tsang

NGV launched the project as part of its annual Architecture Commission series, inviting Australian architects to create site-specific work at the gallery’s garden. The 2022 iteration sees ‘Temple of Boom’ erected atop last year’s installation, a pink and luminous pool inspired by the country’s inland salt lakes. As a result, the residual rosey layer appears to be part of the Greek-inspired structure.

Designed by local architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang from studio NWMN, the NGV-commissioned Parthenon stands today as a glass-reinforced concrete structure coated in a vibrant palette of motifs and illustrations. At its center sits Henry Moore’s 1958 bronze statue of a seated woman, welcoming curious passersby to explore and soak in the colorful backdrop. According to the gallery, ‘Temple of Boom’ will serve as a community meeting place and an outdoor venue for a diverse program of curated activities across the summer period.

‘Temple of Boom’ is a modern tribute to the Parthenon | image © Sean Fennessy

launching the installation with three captivating artworks

The first round of participating artists includes Drez, Manda Lane, and David Lee Pereira, whose artworks have been unveiled at the public opening. Ranging from vibrantly colored floral motifs to optical illusions, the first layer of artworks draws inspiration from the bright and artistic embellishments that once covered the Parthenon over two-thousand years ago.

Drez is a multidisciplinary artist based in Melbourne who uses color and form to play with perspective. Inspired by the likes of Greenbergian Modernism and Op-Art schools, Drez’s work sits at the intersection of abstractionism and street art. For this installation, he leveraged the power of optical illusions to create a bold mural design that changes composition when viewed from different angles.

first featuring artists include Drez, Manda Lane, and David Lee Pereira | image © Sean Fennessy

Complementing Drez’s composition is Manda Lane‘s black-and-white mural illustration depicting various growth behaviors of plants as a visual metaphor for personal expression and evolution. A muralist, illustrator, and paper-based artist from Collingwood, Victoria, with a keen focus on botanicals, Lane’s art explores the interactions between the natural world and industrial, man-made objects.

Last but not least, visual artist David Lee Pereira adorns ‘Temple of Boom’ with larger-than-life floral motifs across the installation floor. Evoking the impressionist and surrealist brushstrokes of Georgia O’Keefe, Salvador Dali, and Edvard Munchdrawing, his artwork draws attention to nature’s striking use of scent and color to allure pollinators. More so, the blooming design subtly nods to Pereira’s long-time quest to explore the fluidity of gender, sexuality, and identity.

a captivating palette of motifs and colors take over the structure | image © Sean Fennessy

‘By inviting local artists to cover this modern interpretation of The Parthenon in contemporary art, ‘Temple of Boom’ overlays this ancient structure with new connections to time and place – especially here in Melbourne. This thought-provoking work by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang invites us to consider the legacy of architectural symbols like The Parthenon, as well as how this meaning can shift across time periods and cultures,’ comments Tony Ellwood AM, Director of the NGV.

Visitors are invited to celebrate the opening week on Saturday, November 26, 2022, with an afternoon of free talks, performances, and hands-on making activities for all ages presented in collaboration with the Hellenic Museum. From December 16, 2022, to April 14, 2023, some of Melbourne’s best DJs will perform every week as part of the return of NGV Friday Nights this summer. The historical and cultural significance of the temple and its continuing resonance with the Greek diaspora will also be celebrated with diverse programming across the nine-month installation.

Henry Moore’s 1958 ‘Draped seated woman’ bronze statue sits at the center | image © Sean Fennessy