The Charm of Street Graffiti
Melbourne is hailed as the “Art Capital”. The street graffiti, architecture, and art galleries create an artistic atmosphere, immersing the entire city in an ocean of art.
The street graffiti, with Hosier Lane being the most renowned, is an important part of the artistic and cultural landscape. It serves as an open-air gallery for local excellent graffiti teams and street artists. The colourful graffiti works and art installations in the alley allow people to experience and understand the city from different perspectives.
The Art of Architecture
The diverse architectural styles in Melbourne, ranging from the ancient buildings adorned with the glory of World Heritage status, to the stylish skyscrapers, Victorian-style houses, and even the street sculptures, all serve as windows for people to understand the city. And during the process of appreciation, people can engage in a dialogue between history and modernity.
1. The artistic sculptural of the Eureka Tower are the new landmarks of Melbourne.
2. The Melbourne Skydeck, which occupies the entire 88th floor of the Eureka Tower, is the highest indoor public observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere. The Edge is a glass cube that extends three meters out from the building, allowing people to overlook the important landmarks all over Melbourne.
3-4. The Royal Arcade, built in 1869, is the oldest non-open-air shopping area in Melbourne and is also the longest-existing arcade in Australia. The large-scale carvings on both sides of the southern entrance are of the mythical figures Gog and Magog.
5. Captain Matthew Flinders is a dazzling bronze statue on the streets of Melbourne. He was a British navigator and cartographer. He once sailed around Australia on a ship together with William Bligh and named many newly discovered regions in Australia.
The Charm of the Art Gallery
The National Gallery of Victoria is one of the oldest and largest art galleries in Australia. From December 15, 2024, to April 21, 2025, a grand large-scale retrospective exhibition of Yayoi Kusama was held, featuring works in various mediums such as paintings, sculptures, installations, fashion designs, and performance art.
Outside the gallery, the installation art titled “Polka Dots Ascending on the Trees” consists of more than 60 plane trees that are wrapped in red and white polka dots along the road. The “Dancing Pumpkin”, which is five meters high and floating above the ground at the entrance, and the “ The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe”, a six meter high work covered with yellow and black polka dots in the shape of tentacles inside the gallery, were also exhibited in Australia for the first time. When people walk beneath these towering sculptures, it’s as if they are freely exploring the vast spiritual world of Yayoi Kusama’s artistic creations.
The “Narcissus Garden”, composed of 1,400 stainless steel silver balls with a diameter of 30 centimetres arranged in groups, references the story of Narcissus in Greek mythology. When the metal balls reflect each other, the audience is instantly transported into a visual world full of reflections along with Narcissus.
The globally premiered work “ Infinity Mirrored Room–My Heart is Filled to the Brim with Sparkling Light” has always been one of the highlights of Yayoi Kusama’s exhibitions around the world. The space cleverly uses mirrors to create an infinite visual illusion. Of course, there is also the dazzling “Flower Obsession” in a vivid blood-red colour. Through interacting with the work, people can create a densely packed and stunning visual effect, enabling them to have a deeper understanding of Yayoi Kusama’s world.
Address: 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3006
Website: www.ngv.vic.gov.au