Summersalt – Exxopolis and Pixel Mountain

Summersalt Festival is in the heart of its gigantic five-week program, and there are many more exciting events to come in the lead up to White Night on February 21.

The program boasts a variety of dance, music, arts and film events, many of which involve participation from members of the public.

The Exxopolis luminarium in the ACCA forecourt was a huge success, completely selling out during its two-week exhibit over January.

The gigantic inflatable sculpture was designed by Alan Parkinson, who has created over 600 exhibitions since the 1980s.

The stunning structure stood at over 10 metres high, which is equivalent to a three-storey house. Visitors were invited to step inside the magical dome and were engulfed in the twisting tunnels, high ceilings and quiet corners of the luminarium.

Once inside, you are smacked with dazzling bright colours and subtle hues that are created by both natural light streaming into the dome and specially-coloured PVC. Colours and moods of the dome’s interior reflected the weather outside with the use of natural light.

The result? A jaw-dropping multi-sensory land that feels like stepping into another world. Accompanied by meditative melodies, visitors absolutely loved meandering through the dome and experiencing the magnificence of colour in Southbank’s backyard.

The National Gallery of Victoria will be hosting “Summer Sundays” from 1-7pm every Sunday in February. Utilising the gorgeous NGV Garden, visitors will be able to relax in the sun whilst enjoying a range of groovy musicians. Still to headline Summer Sundays is Husky and Alpine amongst other bands and DJs.

There is also the chance to see Peter Hook, a founding member of iconic bands Joy Division and New Order on February 20, or dance to some Motown soul and sixties pop with Lake Street Dive on the 21st.

The ACCA Family Art Day is a great way to involve your four-legged family members in the Summersalt fun. The ACCA forecourt will become an off-leash play environment for your dogs, while Melbourne artist Anastasia Klose will help the kids get inspired to create doggy outfits.

An event not to miss is Pixel Mountain, a breathtaking outdoor aerial dance performance held from February 18-21.

Drawing on contemporary dance, new circus and martial arts, performance group Stalker Theatre will excite audiences with adrenaline-fuelled aerial dances.

As the aerialists seem to effortlessly dangle and scale the building walls, real time 3D image and audio projections will respond to their every move, creating a delightful audio-visual treat.

This spectacular show should not be missed.