The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) presents the Australian premiere of Heaven’s Gate – a spectacular video installation by internationally acclaimed artist Marco Brambilla – immersing audiences in a striking fusion of Hollywood glamour and contemporary culture.
The latest chapter in Brambilla’s ambitious Megaplex series exploring the spectacle and excess of the modern world, Heaven’s Gate takes viewers on a vivid cinematic journey.
Through a dazzling cascade of collaged film imagery featuring stars such as Beyoncé, Audrey Hepburn, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Christopher Walken, the installation creates a multifaceted dreamscape that blurs the line between celebration and critique.
“Marco Brambilla’s dazzling work is like a kaleidoscope of pop-culture iconography. Layered with references to gaming, news, cinema and reality television, to experience the work is to enter a hyper-saturated parallel universe,” said Creative Producer & Program Coordinator at the NFSA, Alice Taylor. “Heaven’s Gate explores collective storytelling, concurrently celebrating and satirising the glamour of celebrity and golden age Hollywood.”
Brambilla is internationally recognised as a leading figure in contemporary video art, celebrated for his pioneering use of digital imaging technologies and immersive moving-image installations.
Heaven’s Gate first premiered at Frieze New York in 2021 and was subsequently exhibited at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The installation then toured internationally including at Art Basel Miami (2021), PHI Centre in Montreal (2022), Outernet Arts in London (2023), and the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, (2023), to name just a few.
Now, audiences in Canberra can embark on a rich sensory journey, and experience Heaven’s Gate first-hand, exclusively at the NFSA in Acton. Heaven’s Gate is the latest in a series of immersive audio-visual installations at the NFSA, following the success of Temple (2023), Constellations (2024), and Inferno (2025).
“We are offering audiences fresh perspectives on audio-visual culture. As part of our summer program, Heaven’s Gate, like all our installations, is free to experience and is presented alongside our film and live music series, dynamic collection displays, and a refreshed deli and bar,” said Head of Programs and Operations at the NFSA, Greg Lissaman. “Canberra audiences are invited to encounter Brambilla’s unique international perspective on film and popular culture in the home of Australia’s audio-visual history.”
Heaven’s Gate will complement the NFSA’s anticipated Summer Film Series in which the popular Hot Summer Nights film and live music series will return.
Heaven’s Gate
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), McCoy Circuit, Acton (Canberra)
Installation: 12 December 2025 – 9 March 2026
Free entry
For more information, visit: www.nfsa.gov.au for details.
Image: Heaven’s Gate by Marco Brambilla (still)