Community members of all ages are set to be delighted and disorientated when renowned installation artist Keith Courtney brings his 700 square-metre Kaleidoscope to Geelong this May.
Weighing 70 tonnes and made of glass, mirrors, steel and moving prisms, the critically acclaimed Kaleidoscope will call the Johnstone Park Forecourt home from Monday 13 May to Tuesday 18 June.
Featuring a dazzling white mirror maze during the day, and everchanging, deep colours and light reflections from the surrounding environment at night, the work encourages the viewer to see the world in a different light.
The idea of a giant kaleidoscope came to the artist during a COVID-19 lockdown in winter, when he wanted to create something that brings joy to participants.
Artist Samantha Slicer, visual artist Ash Keating and composer Tamil Rogeon helped to make Kaleidoscope a reality, with the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Boys Choir of Australia performing a beautifully haunting original score.
The multi-sensory and immersive work boasts a local twist given it was manufactured in South Geelong by Keith Courtney’s go-to fabricator Robert Lange Engineering and glazier Menzel Glass.
Kaleidoscope isn’t Keith Courtney’s only piece with links to Geelong, with previous works The House of Mirrors and Inverted Crosses for Dark Mofo built here also.
Tickets to Kaleidoscope go on sale from Monday 10 April and are $15, plus booking fee (five and under and over 75 free).
Following Kaleidoscope’s stint in Geelong, the installation will travel to Bathurst in NSW, Queensland’s Gold Coast and Auckland in New Zealand.
Mayor Trent Sullivan
Kaleidoscope is set to be a mesmerising addition to Greater Geelong’s vibrant arts and culture scene.
Council is thrilled to welcome Keith Courtney and Kaleidoscope back to our region – where it all started for the installation with the help of talented Geelong businesses.
Whether it’s during the day or at night, Kaleidoscope is absolutely breathtaking and has been wowing audiences around the world.
Rug up and come to central Geelong for an unmissable exhibition where you can get lost in a maze of mirrors and see the world in a different light.
While you’re here, make sure to check out our stunning Waterfront and world class beaches, pay a visit to our wonderful museums and galleries, performance and hospitality venues and wineries, and do a spot of shopping.
Keith Courtney
Serenity, meditative and joyful are the words that come to mind when I think of Kaleidoscope.
I imagined the work almost like a cathedral-style experience.
I’ve actually designed it so that just like a kaleidoscope changes infinitely, my Kaleidoscope will keep on changing and keep on evolving.
It’s the first time that one of my major works has had a showing in the town that it was built. It’s just a really wonderful opportunity.
I’d just like people to lose themselves for half an hour – get lost in my Kaleidoscope!
