QAGOMA presents Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company

For generations, Jim Henson’s extraordinary creations have invited audiences to believe that almost anything is possible. This September, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) will open its doors to an extraordinary world of puppets, creatures, characters and imagination with Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company.

Presented exclusively in Brisbane, the expansive exhibition celebrates 70 years of The Jim Henson Company and brings together the most comprehensive collection of its creations ever assembled. Spanning the entire ground floor of GOMA, it offers a rare opportunity to step beyond the screen and discover the artistry, ingenuity and craftsmanship behind some of the most enduring worlds in popular culture.

From the whimsical residents of Sesame Street and the irrepressible Muppets to the fantastical landscapes of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, Henson’s work has left an indelible mark on generations of audiences. His legacy is equally evident in the beloved Fraggle Rock and its Emmy Award-winning revival, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, demonstrating how the art of puppetry continues to evolve while retaining its capacity to surprise and enchant.

Across three immersive chapters, Make, Believe, Magic traces the remarkable evolution of The Jim Henson Company, from its beginnings in practical puppetry to the increasingly sophisticated animatronic and digital techniques that have transformed creature design and on-screen storytelling.

The exhibition brings together hundreds of objects drawn from the Company’s extraordinary archive, including original puppets, animatronic creatures, props, costumes, drawings and moving-image material. For audiences accustomed to seeing these characters only through the finished frame, the exhibition provides a fascinating glimpse into the painstaking creative process that gives them life.

Among the world-first highlights is the opportunity to walk among the sets of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, including the Great Hall set, offering visitors an unprecedented behind-the-scenes perspective on the making of the series. Elsewhere, a giant Landstrider puppet from The Dark Crystal provides a spectacular reminder of the scale and ambition of Henson’s fantasy worlds.

Founded by Jim and Jane Henson in 1955, The Jim Henson Company has spent seven decades pushing the boundaries of puppetry and redefining what audiences believe a puppet can be. Its characters have entertained, educated and inspired audiences across generations, while its approach to creature design has influenced filmmakers, performers and artists around the world.

What makes Henson’s work so enduring is not simply the affection audiences have for its characters, but the extraordinary craftsmanship concealed behind their apparent simplicity. A puppet becomes a personality; a constructed set becomes an entire universe; a performer disappears inside a creature and, for a moment, the impossible feels entirely real.

Make, Believe, Magic celebrates that transformation. Immersive, playful and spectacular in scale, the exhibition offers both a nostalgic encounter with much-loved characters and a deeper appreciation of the artists, puppeteers, designers and makers who brought them to life.

For anyone who has ever wondered how a Fraggle moves, how a fantastical creature is constructed, or how a piece of foam, fabric and ingenuity can become a character capable of captivating millions, GOMA’s latest exhibition promises an irresistible invitation: step inside the world of Jim Henson and discover where make-believe becomes magic.

The Sock Puppet Studio will run daily during Queensland school holidays, providing a place for the little ones to channel their inner puppeteer by creating and bringing to life their very own sock puppets using techniques from The Jim Henson Company.

The exhibition will also feature an exclusive cinema program of over 90 films showcasing productions created by The Jim Henson Company, as well as projects that feature the work of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.