See the Mona Lisa come to life in the interactive art exhibition Italian Renaissance Alive
Ah, Italy. The magical boot of sun-drenched land, the birthplace of pizza and the home of many famous artists. We’d love nothing more than to jet off to Europe every other weekend to eat exceptional food and stand in awe of extraordinary artworks. While we wait (and wait) for someone to invent a quicker way to get over there from our sunny shores, HOTA is bringing the masterpieces to us in an interactive exhibition called Italian Renaissance Alive, which officially opens this weekend.
Following on from the world-class exhibition Van Gogh Alive that toured to over 50 cities, and Monet in Paris that made its global debut in Brisbane, Italian Renaissance Alive by Grande Experiences will give Gold Coasters a first look at an international blockbuster.
HOTA Gallery, which will house the exhibition from March 29 to August 4, reinvents the concept of an art gallery by transforming it into a 360-degree fully immersive experience. Displaying a 45-minute choreographed digital spectacle of great artworks set to classical operatic music, the expansive 1000-m2 space is no ordinary art exhibition.
Walk freely around the space taking in the art that’s projected on towering seven-metre high walls. Instead of lingering in front of one static artwork, the images change so you can zoom in and out on details of the works. Be in awe of brushstrokes you may have never seen on the real thing. Marvel at Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, take in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, Veronese are just some of the other incredible artists with work displayed in this exhibition.
To celebrate Italian Renaissance Alive making its Australian debut on the Gold Coast, HOTA is hosting a series of events to transport you to Europe. For those who want to know more about the artists and artworks, there will be an intimate Expert Lecture Series in May, delving into the distinct period in history and art. Think you can paint as good as the masters? Across various dates from May and June, HOTA is offering Oil Painting Masterclasses to create your own masterpiece. Young artists and those young-at-heart are also invited to create Renaissance-inspired art through Lego in Renaissance in Bricks on Sunday April 14.
Keen to immerse yourself in Italian life at home? Take the elevator to The Exhibitionist Bar for a Pizza & Aperitivo Cocktail Masterclass and learn to cook and make cocktails the Italian way so you can live la dolce vita at home. Or treat yourself to an Italian Renaissance Feast at Palette Restaurant, exclusively on Wednesdays and Thursdays from April 3 to August 1. After seeing the exhibition and enjoying an aperitivo, you can settle in for an intimate seven-course degustation. Say ‘ciao’ to decadent Hervey Bay scallops, Australian Bay lobster souffle, Moreton Bay cuttlefish, uovo in raviolo, bistecca angus, kangaroo grass flour cozetti – an exclusive house made pasta utilising native flour – and a Tuscan Marble dessert.
For more information and to book tickets, visit the HOTA website.
To find out more about what’s on in the Gold Coast, head to our Event Guide.