Como House is currently playing host to Doll House: Miniature Worlds of Wonder by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), that transports visitors to the creative world of the doll house and miniature life.
Open to the public from 22 June-29 August, the exhibit features over 40 doll houses, furniture and accessories that are drawn from private collections, showcasing unseen doll houses from the 1880s to present day, as well as virtual experiences - where visitors can interact with doll houses like never before. There will also be a series of events, talks, workshops and more given over the course of the exhibition.
Simon Ambrose, CEO of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), says the exhibition showcases the art form that is miniature models.
“This exhibition is all about play, imagination and storytelling. We’ve had a fantastic time transforming Como House into a doll house of sorts, and we can’t wait to have visitors step inside and enjoy the smaller things in life,” he says.
Dr Annette Shiell, National Trust Executive Manager, Collections and Cultural Projects, says the exhibition offers an insight into the minds of makers, collectors, activists and players, revealing the stories hidden in their miniature worlds.
“Doll House: Miniature Worlds of Wonder has allowed us to connect with some incredible creators across Victoria, from home-made houses to elaborate cabinets of wonder, virtual worlds and their emergence as characters in crime and horror genres, doll houses are displayed as both an object of fantasy and a snapshot in time,” she says.
In developing the exhibition, the National Trust turned to well-known miniature artists, including Melbourne based lawyer Emily Boutard. Turning life-sized things into tiny ones is not new to Emily, as she has devoted many years to her craft.
“Working on the Doll House exhibition was an opportunity to share my passion and spread the wonder of tiny things. I’ve never met a person who doesn’t smile when they see a tiny chair. In these difficult times I’m so glad all the visitors who come to see the exhibition will get the chance to feel that pure and simple joy,” says Boutard.
All tickets purchased to the exhibition support the conservation work by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) on their own ‘life-size’ doll houses.
Doll House: Miniature Worlds of Wonder opens daily 10am and closes at 3pm until it closes on 29 August 2021.
For more information and tickets, visit dollhousecomo.com.
