Direct from London and in an Australian first, Carriageworks will present David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) – a monumental, immersive production from Lightroom London by one of the most celebrated artists of our time, this October.
David Hockney, who recently passed away at the age of 88, is one of the most influential artists of the modern era, reshaping the boundaries of art across a remarkable seven-decade career. Rising to prominence in the 1960s, Hockney became renowned for his fascination with perception, perspective and the act of looking. Across painting, photography, stage design and digital media, he continually embraced new forms and technologies and expanded the possibilities of artistic practice.
A rare opportunity to spend time in the presence of David Hockney, a pioneering contemporary artist whose influence spans the 20th and 21st centuries, David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) will transform the iconic industrial architecture of Carriageworks’ Bay 17 into a four-sided, large-scale digital environment.
Originally conceived for London’s Lightroom exhibition space in close collaboration with Hockney, the Sydney presentation marks the production’s Australian debut. Since opening in London in February 2023, the exhibition has captivated audiences in Manchester, Shanghai and Seoul, welcoming over 650,000 visitors around the world.
Bringing together painting, photography, drawing and digital media, the show is a multi-sensory experience that unfolds across image, sound and space. In a cycle of six themed chapters, with a specially composed score by Nico Muhly and narrated by Hockney himself, Hockney reveals his process.
His voice guides the viewer as they observe his early experiments with perspective, using photography as a way of ‘drawing with a camera’, capturing the passing of time in his composite Polaroids and photographic collages and the joy of spring on his iPad, and showing us why only paint can properly convey the hugeness of the Grand Canyon. Audiences join him on his audio-visual Wagner Drive, roaring up into the San Gabriel Mountains, and into the opera house by means of animated re-creations of his stage designs.
Ever the pioneer, Hockney’s close collaboration with Lightroom London to create Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) was their very first presentation. His life-long fascination with the possibilities of new media was given vibrant expression in this exhibition.
“To work directly with David Hockney for a number of years to create Bigger & Closer (not smaller and further away) was a huge privilege, and to be able to share it with a new audience in Australia is thrilling for us,” said Richard Slaney, CEO of Lightroom and Producer of Bigger & Closer.
“The show is driven by David’s philosophy – to take things in; to look closely; to know what it is you’re looking at; to really look. The show was created to allow audiences to step into David’s process and to experience the wonder and magic of seeing things his way.”
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) is presented by Carriageworks and Andrew Kay and Associates. The exhibition is set to become a defining feature of Sydney’s cultural calendar throughout summer. At Carriageworks, the experience will come to life within one of Australia’s most distinctive cultural spaces – continuing the organisation’s commitment to presenting ambitious, genre-defying works.
“Four years ago, I stood in the still unfinished Lightroom in London’s King’s Cross as the project’s CEO, Richard Slaney, told me about their dream of working with the world’s finest artists, designers and musicians to create a new kind of storytelling,” said Fergus Linehan, CEO of Carriageworks.
“Their first port of call was the incomparable David Hockney, an artist whose insatiable appetite for innovation is matched by the dazzling possibilities of this completely new type of venue. Together, they created something that is part visual art, part theatre and part cinema.”
“Little did we know that, just a few months before we finally realised this glorious project in Sydney, David Hockney would leave us. Hockney’s work sits in our imagination in ways that feel deeply familiar to Sydneysiders: deep blue waters, bright green foliage and shimmering bodies.”
“Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) is a chance to enter this world in the most visceral of ways, and to celebrate an artist who left us with the simplest and most profound of mottos: Love Life,” said Lineham.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Lightroom and Carriageworks to bring this extraordinary exhibition to Sydney audiences. David Hockney spent a lifetime teaching us to look more closely at the world, and this production is a fitting tribute to that legacy – an immersive celebration of one of the great artistic minds of our time, presented here in Australia for the very first time,” said Andrew Kay AM, Director of Andrew Kay and Associates.
David Hockney (1937-2026) is one of the most influential artists of the contemporary era, with a career spanning more than seven decades. Renowned for his continual reinvention, his work is defined by a sustained exploration of perception, perspective and the act of looking, alongside a deep commitment to depicting the world around him.
After training at the Bradford School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, Hockney rose to prominence in the 1960s, developing a distinctive figurative style following his move to Los Angeles. There he created some of his most iconic works, including his celebrated swimming pool paintings and psychologically charged double portraits.
Across painting, photography, stage design and digital media, Hockney consistently expanded the possibilities of artistic practice. From pioneering photographic collages and designing landmark opera productions to embracing new technologies such as the iPhone and iPad, his work reflects an enduring curiosity and openness to innovation.
In later years, his return to landscape – particularly in Yorkshire and Normandy – produced large-scale works and immersive digital projects that continued to redefine how audiences engage with image and space. Hockney’s prolific output remained grounded in a spirit of inquiry, technical mastery and a lifelong belief in the vitality and beauty of visual experience.
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)
Carriageworks (Bay 17), 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh (Sydney)
Exhibition: 22 October 2026 – 24 January 2027
Information and Bookings: www.carriageworks.com.au
Images: David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) – photos by Justin Sutcliffe © David Hockney