Art Matters #59 - Maddie Reece - Museum Exhibitions Curator at Yarra Ranges Regional Museum
Intro Track: Paprika Pony, Kim Gordon, No Home Record, 2019

Today Adriana Alvarez interviewed Maddie Reece from the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum about the current exhibition showing - GONDWANA VR.
They chatted about Gondwana VR and how it is an immersive and interactive virtual-reality experience that invites you to discover the world's oldest tropical rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland, Australia.

We discovered that the experience for viewers changes every time you visit as each day Gondwana VR is different and unrepeatable.
In this durational experience the rainforest gently unfurls offering viewers time to reflect on the change and loss of this irreplaceable ecosystem. Weather, seasons, and biodiversity shift as you navigate a vast map of ancient trees, rugged mountains and idyllic beaches. But a broader narrative stirs below: over the course of each showing, the rainforest degrades, artistically rendering climate data projections up to the year 2090. The only salve to this seemingly inevitable decline is people - the more time an audience spends in Gondwana, the more resilient the forest becomes.

They also talked about how Gondwana VR was developed by artists Emma Roberts and Ben Joseph Andrews over approximately four years and is presented at Yarra Ranges Regional Museum as part of the 2026 Burrinja Climate Change Biennale - Burrinja.org.au for more details on that.
They touched on how the experience for the viewer is interactive and about how technology has enabled a different kind of interaction with art in spaces like this. 
Get along to see this while you can - as Maddie said we most likely wont have it shown in Victoria again for quite a while.

Exhibition on Display
From Wed 15 Jul 2026 to Sun 1 Nov 2026 
Yarra Ranges Regional Museum
Free Exhibition

Also coming up on Friday the 28th August is the Museum after Dark winter offering - so much to see and participate in - Tarot, DJs, food, Pop Up stalls, exhibition access and heaps more - BOOK NOW
check it out here - Museum after Dark
Thanks you to both Adriana and Maddie for an excellent interview.

Exhibitions to go see:
Deakin University Art Gallery
Deakin Burwood Campus (Building FA), 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood 3125.
Free entry. OPen Mon–Fri 10.00 to 4.00. 
Aug 24 to Oct 9 Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award.

Galleria Crocodillo
Naarm, 738 Plenty Road, Reservoir 3073.
Thurs 11.00 to 6.00, Fri–Sat 12.00 to 8.00, Sun 1.00 to 6.00.
To Aug 23 River Bodies by Robyn Phelan. Elemental encounters between clay, fire, and water.

Heritage Hill Museum and Historic Gardens (Benga)
66 McCrae Street, Dandenong 3175.
Free entry.
Wed–Thurs 10.00 to 3.00.
To Aug 27 Extraordinary Stories: Collection Highlights. 

Whitehorse Art Gallery
Box Hill Town Hall, 1022 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill 3128.
Tues–Fri 10.00 to 4.00, Sat 12.00 to 4.00.
To Sept 5 Emma X Zhang: After Image 

Walker Street Gallery & Arts Centre
Cnr Walker and Robinson streets, Dandenong 3175.
Mon–Sat 11.00 to 3.00.
To Aug 15 Primary Succession 

Bulleen Arts And garden centre
Hidden In the Garden
11 July to 18 August  2026     
Free motion embroidery, basketry, glass art by
Carly Leech, Jeanette Carter,  Jenie Yolland  

Maph
BROOK ANDREW 
ROLLERCOASTER: winhangadurinya in motion
6 June – 30 August 2026

SUBSCRIBERS:
Little Acres - Ange
Kelly K Sullivan – Collage Artist
Sing Song Ceramics - Selby
Elizabeth Gleeson – Muralist and fine artist
Shirley Dougen – Artist
Natasja - Textile artist
Rajko Grbac (sculptor)
The Forge Institute – Community Group
The Hut Gallery FERNTREE GULLY
Cheech the rescue staffy via Tass & Pottsy from Belgrave 

Please get in touch with us if you are interested in being a part of the Art Matters team and bringing art to the radio or to let us know about your upcoming exhibitions and events.
artmatters97.1fm@gmail.com   or   @artmatters_97.1fm