NGV International unveils Temple of Boom

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) presents the 2022 NGV Architecture Commission: Temple of Boom at the Grollo Equiset Garden, NGV International, Melbourne, is a contemporary tribute to the Classical Greek architectural masterpiece, The Parthenon, on the Athenian Acropolis.

Tony Ellwood AM, Director of the NGV, said: “Temple of Boom overlays this ancient structure with new connections to time and place – especially here in Melbourne.”

Designed by Melbourne-based architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, Temple of Boom invites audiences to consider the effect of time on all architecture as the structure gradually transforms with artworks and murals by local artists, painted in three phases, the first of which began last month and continues until August 2023. From vibrantly coloured floral motifs to optical illusions, the artworks draw inspiration from the colourful and artistic embellishments that covered the original building over two-thousand years ago.

This modern replica currently displays the work of Drez, Manda Lane and David Lee Pereira. Drez’s boldly colourful mural changes composition when viewed from different angles; Lane explores the interactions between the natural world and industrial or man-made objects by depicting various growth behaviours of plants, creating a visual metaphor for personal expression and growth; and Pereira, who oft explores the fluidity of gender, sexuality and identity, adorns the structure with large-than-life floral motifs that draw attention to nature’s flamboyant use of scent and colour to allure pollinators.

Taking its name from the vibrations of music, Temple of Boom is envisioned as a community meeting place and an outdoor venue for a diverse program of NGV-curated performances, programs, and music across the summer period.

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