Left vacant for more than 20 years, a sprawling 1930s mansion lies empty, in a state of ruin. Questions hang heavy in its dense silence, each room strewn with the dusty remains of a collapsed empire and hints of romance past.
Melbourne-based artist RONE uses his work to explore the connections between new and old, beauty and ruin, youth and decay.
The largest and most ambitious project yet: EMPIRE, is set amongst the decaying glory of a once-magnificent manor Burnham Beeches, in Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges.
Part exhibition, part installation, part VR and AR experience, EMPIRE combines art, vision, sound, light, botanical design and scent to take audiences on a hauntingly immersive multi-sensory journey into a reimagined past of a faded icon.
The Burnham project reimagines the spirit of one of Victoria’s landmark mansions, not accessed since the 1980s. Through this, viewers are invited to consider what remains - the unseen cultural, social, artistic and spiritual heritage which produces intangible meaning.
Audiences are encouraged to find new forms of seeing - the beauty in negative spaces, the power and potential of reimagining the past, assisted by experiences of AR and VR.
We invite you to experience EMPIRE, before (like all of Rone's works) the mansion is returned to its former state, and the exhibition dismantled.
To ensure the best possible experience when visiting the exhibition, sessions will allow 1.5 hour visit for 80 people at any one time. Please note that due to the heritage of the building, disabled access to some areas is not possible. There is a VR experience which assists viewing inaccessible areas. Pram parking is available on entry. All backpacks and tripods to remain in the cloakroom.
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