Ready, set, play! Moonee Valley City Council (MVCC) is thrilled to announce that trailblazing international exhibition The Playground Project Melbourne is now open to the public at Incinerator Gallery.
For the next four months, the Australian-first exhibition showcases a unique chapter in art, design, urbanism, and activism from the late 19th to the early 21st centuries and brings to life the design history of the humble playground from the 1930s to the present day.
Large-scale playground installations, inside and outside the gallery space, will provide an immersive art and design experience for young visitors. The exhibition, designed by Melbourne-based BoardGrove Architects, will also examine how designers, educators, and planners have come together to create our public spaces, where children can gather, learn, and grow.
This travelling exhibition comes directly from the Kunsthalle Zürich and has had major presentations at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, the Baltic in Newcastle, the Garden of Unaccompanied Children at Serra dei Giardini in Venice, the German Museum of Architecture in Frankfurt, Konsthall in Lund, and more.
In a major coup for Melbourne, Incinerator Gallery has acquired the Lozziwurm Playground by Yvan Pestalozzi, which will remain in MVCC for children to play on after the exhibition concludes.
MVCC has also commissioned a brand-new First Nations Playable Public Art sculpture by Edwina Green, that will take up permanent residence alongside the mighty Maribyrnong river.
The project presents a creative collaboration by visual artist Simon Terrill and architecture studio Assemble (UK) titled The Brutalist Playground originally commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to be ‘part sculpture, part architectural installation, all play’.
Round Table – an instructional artwork with a modular social seating element also features, conceived by interior design pioneer Mary Featherston AM and artist Emily Floyd as both a gathering space and a play sculpture. Floyd also presents a selection of prints inspired by Ripple.
A site-specific response, The Ringtales Playground, designed by BoardGrove Architects, explores the concept of nature play. It pays tribute to the architecture of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin (designers of the original Incinerator).
“Playgrounds are the setting of formative childhood experiences, and we are proud to spotlight the creative and social forces that shape them,” said Mayor of Moonee Valley City Council, Ava Adams. “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 exhibition’s guest curator, accomplished Swiss urban planner and political scientist Gabriela Burkhalter says this is set to be a uniquely Australian iteration of The Playground Project.
“The Playground Project in Melbourne celebrates the importance of children’s play while reimagining the design of our public spaces and neighbourhoods,” said Burkhalter.
Incinerator Gallery is offering a variety of public programs, including a series of Incinerator x MADA Talks. The next instalment will feature a keynote address by Gabriela Burkhalter on Friday 4 July. Joining her in the discussions will be Mary Featherston, Emily Floyd, Monash University’s Dean of Architecture, Professor Mel Dodd, and Associate Professor Kathy Waghorn.
Additionally, there will be a Monash University pop-up, a learning program for schools, and public workshops for kids and teens. It’s the perfect family outing this upcoming school holidays.
The Playground Project is proudly presented with support from Major Partner Jellis Craig and Jellis Craig Foundation, and Education Partner, Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA).
The Playground Project Melbourne
Incinerator Gallery, 180 Holmes Road, Aberfeldie (Melbourne)
Exhibition continues to 12 October 2025
Entry fees apply
For more information, visit: www.playgroundproject.com.au for details.
Images: Daniel Baumann and Curator Gabriela Burkhalter in front of Lozziwurm by Yvan Pestalozzi (1972,2025) – photo by Timothy Burgess, courtesy of Incinerator Gallery | Round Table by Mary Featherston and Emily Floyd photo by Timothy Burgess, courtesy of Incinerator Gallery