Moonee Valley's Incinerator Gallery is set to become a wonderland for both kids and design nerds this winter.
In a major coup for Moonee Valley’s arts scene, the gallery will host the southern hemisphere debut of The Playground Project, running from 28 June to 12 October 2025. The exhibition celebrates playground design as a legit artform and will feature interactive installations that turn the entire gallery into a play space.
The travelling exhibition has already smashed it in Europe, the UK and the US, and the Australian version will incorporate local case studies alongside international playground designs.
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The centrepiece acquisition is the Lozziwurm Playground by Yvan Pestalozzi – a winding, serpent-like structure from 1972 that kids can climb, slide through and explore. The best part? This epic playground structure will remain in Moonee Valley after the exhibition wraps.
Swiss urban planner and political scientist Gabriela Burkhalter is curating the show alongside Daniel Baumann from Kunsthalle Zürich, with Melbourne’s BoardGrove Architects handling the exhibition design.
“The Playground Project in Melbourne celebrates the importance of children’s play while reimagining the design of our public spaces and neighbourhoods,” said Burkhalter. “Renowned for promoting adventure playgrounds as the original form of self-determined play, I eagerly anticipate the upcoming reveal. Play is vital everywhere, and I am excited that the Lozziwurm—the legendary, oversized looming play sculpture—will soon find a new home in Melbourne, and welcome all children, big and small, who wish to engage with it.”
The exhibition examines playground design from the 1930s to the 1990s, aiming to inspire contemporary approaches to public play spaces.
Moonee Valley Mayor, Councillor Ava Adams, emphasised the importance of playgrounds in childhood development: “Playgrounds are the setting of formative childhood experiences, and we are proud to spotlight the creative and social forces that shape them. Local government has long been a leader when it comes to creating playgrounds where children can develop their physicality, creativity and social skills, and Moonee Valley is no exception. With The Playground Project, the City of Moonee Valley is reaching a new generation of art and design lovers and their families. This world-class exhibition is the perfect fit for our Incinerator Gallery, a contemporary arts space that belongs to the whole community – young and old.”
The project is backed by Major Partner Jellis Craig and Jellis Craig Foundation, with Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA) on board as Education Partner.
Professor Mel Dodd, Dean of MADA, said: “We’re excited to be partnering with the Incinerator Gallery and Moonee Valley City Council. As urban areas become more populated, the need for cleverly designed inclusive and sustainable public play spaces is critical. We’re looking forward to bringing our faculty’s unique collective creative expertise and capability in art, design, architecture and urban planning to this collaboration.”
A First Nations Playable Public Art Commission is also being developed as part of the project, which will find a permanent home in Moonee Valley after the exhibition.
Tickets range from free for under-12s to $25 for adults, with discounts for Moonee Valley residents, concession holders and families.
For more information, head here.
