The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne, Australia has unveiled a new installation that celebrates and explores the role of The Parthenon in global cultures. Titled Temple of Boom, and designed by Melbourne-based architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, the installation sees a one-third scale replica of the famous Greek site adorned with floral motifs, optical illusions, and other designs.

Situated in the NGV Garden, the scheme will host a gradually-changing set of large-scale artworks and murals painted by local artists in three phases between November 2022 and August 2023. The ever-changing artwork within the installation is intended to invite audiences to “consider the effect of time on all architecture.”

The artwork series will begin with floral motifs and optical illusions by artists Drez, Manda Lane, and David Lee Pereira. Themes within the artwork range from bold murals sitting at the intersection of abstract and street art, murals inspired by botanicals and the natural world, and floral motifs celebrating nature’s “flamboyant use of scent and color to allure pollinators.”

Throughout its life, Temple of Boom will also serve as a meeting place and outdoor venue for a program of performances and music throughout the Australian summer. Events in the program will include a VR experience transporting visitors to The Parthenon in a virtual walk, and a weekly Friday DJ session from some of Melbourne’s best DJs.

“One of the most famous examples of classical architecture, The Parthenon in Athens is often viewed as a potent symbol of Western art and culture” explained the gallery’s director Tony Ellwood. “This thought-provoking work by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang invites us to consider how we create and imbue architecture with meaning, as well as how this meaning can shift across time periods and cultures.”

The installation will be open to the public from November 22nd 2022 through October 2023.