The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is the coolest museum in Melbourne. Probably the best coolest museum in Australia… For film, video games and digital culture geeks. That's me. This combined with the fact that the Wallace & Gromit and Friends: The Magic of Aardman exhibition was on, it was impossible to walk by ACMI without going inside.
The Aardman exhibition is a journey into the magical world of Aardman, the famous studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Creature Comforts and more awesome animated series and films. Film sets, characters and heaps of info about the creative process is on display.
Prices and discounts
ACMI is located on Fed Square in Melbourne and is open from 9 am till 5 pm daily. More info about ACMI and upcoming exhibitions. The Wallace & Gromit and Friends: The Magic of Aardman exhibition was from 29 June 2017 until 29 January 2018. I was just in time to see it.
Full admission (adults) was AU$ 24 per person. Being just a friendly person from New Zealand wasn't enough to get a discount, but there were discounts available (concession tickets) for students and seniors citizens.
The Aardman Exhibition: Wallace & Gromit and more
ACMI is an awesome place. There are several free exhibitions on the ground floor. For instance the history of the (Australian) TV & film industry but also a short history of video games. And yes, there are several playable games, like Space Invaders.
But the main goal was the Aardman / Wallace & Gromit exhibition on the lower level. As soon as you enter the exhibition area you're transported to the magical world of Aardman. This is an exhibition that is extremely well set-up. It's more than just the film sets from Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run Shaun The Sheep and more.
The colourful walls are covered with drawings, sketches and relevant artwork. It's a pleasure to spend some time here. Check out the photos below to see how awesome this exhibition is.
Verdict
Nothing negative to say about the Wallace & Gromit and Friends: The Magic of Aardman exhibition. Awesome. If you're a fan of Aardman you have to visit the exhibition. A variety of Aardman films and series are being covered. They'll show you how some of these classics were made. Or how the effects are done to bring life into these plasticine figurines. Seeing the tiny film sets and how they are used is just amazing.
Photos of Aardman's Wallace & Gromit Exhibition
