Kicking-off on Saturday 21 November exclusively at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum, Australian audiences will be the first in the world to experience THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC COMICS, a one-of-a-kind exhibition
created in partnership with legendary artist Nathan Sawaya, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment.
To kids and adults who love LEGO®, artist Sawaya is a bit of a super-hero. For the last decade, the former lawyer-turned-artist has transformed the popular toy into highly sought after artwork, and has inspired countless kids to discover their own artist within. Now, Sawaya is turning to the stories and characters of DC Comics for this new exhibition.
THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC COMICS features more than 120 original works of art, created exclusively from LEGO bricks, including a life-size Batmobile, spanning 5.5 metres (18 feet) and constructed from half a million standard bricks. Inspired by legendary characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Harley Quinn and others, Sawaya has imagined large-scale sculptures featuring some of the most iconic Super Heroes and Super-Villains from the pages of DC Comics.
“Just like Superman, everyone has their own origin story. This collection of art draws on elements of a hero’s journey including that moment when we’re all called to adventure,” Sawaya said. “It’s similar to building with LEGO. There is an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment when you finish building a LEGO set – instilling confidence and self-esteem. It feels a little bit like being a super-hero.”
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts, Troy Grant, said “This show is an Australian exclusive for the Powerhouse Museum and will be a fantastic experience for families and fans of LEGO and DC Comics. We all know that everything is awesome in a show about LEGO.”
NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said “The global anticipation for this exhibition is incredible and it’s a real coup for Sydney to secure the world premiere of THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC COMICS. The NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW is working closely with the Powerhouse Museum to promote the exhibition which we expect will bring more than 19,000 visitors to Sydney.”
The exhibit encompasses 1,400 square metres (15,000 square feet) comprised of 10 distinct galleries featuring artworks depicting themes of transformation and resurrection, good and evil, and right and wrong. Sawaya’s works vary from a towering sinister Joker face, to Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, to an avant-garde installation of the heroic Justice League.
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) Director, Rose Hiscock said it was wonderful for the Powerhouse Museum to be the premiere venue for this global exhibition. “This new exhibition continues the Museum’s strong tradition of exploring contemporary culture through art and design and we are delighted to be opening to the
public this weekend. Fans will not be disappointed, it really is a masterpiece for the young at heart and explores our fascination with heroes and villains,” said Ms Hiscock.
“THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC COMICS is an immersive entertainment experience like no other, and we are thrilled with Nathan Sawaya’s amazing artwork on display in this global touring exhibition,” said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “Fans from across the globe will be captivated by Sawaya’s masterful use of LEGO bricks to create unique artistic interpretations of iconic DC Comics characters.”
The new exhibition holds true to the creative disciplines of Sawaya’s original touring exhibition, THE ART OF THE BRICK, which encourages inspiration, education and participation and has been seen by millions of people in more than 75 cities across five continents. Award-winning and record-breaking, CNN rated it as one of the world’s ‘must see exhibitions.’
THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC COMICS exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum will be open to the public from 21 November 2015 to 1 May 2016. Tickets are on sale now at: ticketek.com.au
Exhibition details
What: THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC COMICS
Where: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
500 Harris St, Ultimo NSW
When: 21 November 2015 until 1 May 2016
Details: maas.museum/aotb
Tickets: To avoid the queues pre-book your tickets at www.ticketek.com.au
Pricing: Adult: $26
Concession: $22
Child: $16.60
Family: $64
Future cities and venues will be posted at www.brickartist.com.
