Marvel Exhibition Brisbane

THIS EVENT HAS NOW FINISHED. 

The Gallery of Modern Art is hosting the largest ever Marvel exhibition in an art museum in the world. It is a collection, a celebration and indeed a marvel of all the greatest costumes, ideas, characters and storylines to come out of the Marvel Franchise.

Over 500 objects feature in the exhibition, with over 60 costumes worn by actors including Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Robert Downey Junior. The objects vary from movie sets to concept ideas, right through to comic books and screen presentations from the Marvel films.

Is the Marvel exhibition suitable for kids?

If your child is a Marvel fan then they are going to love this exhibition. It is definitely a family friendly exhibition and this was highlighted in the opening speech by the Premier of Queensland. Like any art exhibition, there is an element of supervision needed from parents in ensuring precious pieces aren’t climbed on but equally there are a number of features that demand interaction.

After an initial viewing I would say my 5 year old would enjoy it but perhaps she would be just as excited viewing the movies at home. My 7 and 10-year-old on the other hand, will find this Marvel exhibition overwhelmingly exciting and will have the control to move slowly through the exhibition to actually enjoy and “marvel” at the incredible detail. I guess that is the main point. There are two levels to this exhibition, the sweeping wow factor achieved by the costumes and oversized props, (that any person would find incredible), and then the layer that sits underneath which is truly spectacular, interesting and detail orientated.

Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe is one of those rare activities that you can likely attend hand in hand with your teenager, (ok hand in hand might be going to far), but this is definitely something they will find exciting if they are Marvel fans. There are concepts that rise above the appreciation of the smaller child and old kids are likely to have a heightened appreciation for the ongoing nods to early comics. Geeking out.

The Marvel exhibition for inspiring young movie makers

Today more than ever, kids are in an enviable position of having technology on hand to make movies from their homes. The Marvel exhibition was really exciting to me, from that point of view, because there is a big part of it that focuses on the behind-the-scenes of movie making. From the sound creation, the green screen process and the character development to the concept boards and storyline creation, the exhibition truly shows the wizardry behind the movies all the while making it seem accessible and possible.

Highlights of the Marvel Exhibition

Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe, is filled with features that the appreciating Marvel fan, young and old, will find both exciting and inspiring.

Hulks Bed

You can’t imagine the size or how impressive this piece is.

Stark Racing Car

This is showcased alongside the Stark racing suit and the costume of his nemesis Whiplash.

Hulkbuster

This is probably the first thing you will see as you enter the gallery. It is huge, impressive and presents an awesome photo opportunity. Hulkbuster was the character built to destroy the Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015

Asgardian throne room

The weaponry and costumes in this room are impressive even if your kids are too young to have watched the Thor series yet. Oversized and extremely cool.

Things to do at Marvel Creating the Cinematic Universe

All activities are included in the initial entry cost.

Augmented Reality

This was by far my favourite thing to experience at the Marvel Exhibition. Kids will have the chance to stand in front of a 3d character, (either Iron Man, Baby Groot or Rocket), and have them mimic your actions. I watched many an adult have so much fun doing this and this is a fun thing to film on your phone.

The Story Begins

Did you know since 1939, Marvel has created over 8000 characters?! WOW! These activity present a chance to draw inspiration from comic book art to create your own character

The Green Screen

Very much a favourite and I would expect there to be lines out the door for this activity. Basically, you and your kids can have the opportunity to stand in front of a green screen posting as superheroes/villains and then be positioned within a particular Marvel themed scenes. You can do team or individual shots and you get a digital file to take away.

Sound interaction 

This is an opportunity to do some sound mixing to explore how adjusting the vocals, score and sound effects can alter the meaning in a movie.

CGI Toggle Screens

Use a dial to show the layers of movie making from pre-visualisation mock ups to the end product that ends up on the screens and everything in between.

Marvel unlocked

There is a mobile interactive tour with hidden information and the opportunity to take the whole experience to an even deeper level with video, content, clues and additional interactions.

The gift shop

A little reminiscent of a Theme Park, you can’t leave without existing via the gift shop. It is filled with much Marvel paraphernalia and lots of small keepsakes if you want to take a memory of the experience or buy something cool for a Christmas present. This is the ideal opportunity to get your kids doing some chores around the home for some pocket money.. just saying. 🙂

Overall

The Gallery of Modern Art is continuing to prove to kids that art can be exciting and that, for me, is the most wonderful aspect of the Marvel exhibition. It is a continued reminder that children and families are welcome in the Gallery of Modern Art and that film making, writing, character development etc, is an artistic endeavour within reach of our kids.

The age of the children you are taking and their interest in the films will determine how long you spend in there. I would imagine for the young ones it would be about an hour and for older kids potentially a lot longer. My advice is to make sure you look at everything and talk about everything to your children because it is a rare opportunity to have them tell YOU about something that they probably know more about and are excited to share. I can’t wait to take my kids!