The curators of The Hunger Games: The Exhibition has gone all out to ensure the odds are ever in their favour, creating a highly interactive, sensory feast for fans.
Hosted in the sparkly new International Convention Centre Sydney, the exhibition is a tribute to The Hunger Games movies and books. Featuring numerous costumes and props from the film franchise, the exhibition gives visitors a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the cinematic creation of Suzanne Collins’ fantasy world.
Laid out in a sequence of seven galleries, the exhibition follows Katniss on her journey from volunteer tribute to Mockingjay. Music from the films accompanies your passage through the galleries, which are themselves designed to visually represent the style of the various scenic locations.
This exhibition caters for all types of gallery-goers. For readers, there are comprehensive descriptions of both the fictional milestones and the production processes undertaken by the filmmakers. Those more concerned with the visual have plenty of opportunities to get up close to the detailed costumes, props and other design elements, or watch short video grabs from the cast and crew. If audio commentary is more your style, the exhibition app (which can be accessed via your own mobile device or via an audio guide) provides an informative soundtrack.
What makes this exhibition so engaging, however, is the number of hands-on, interactive features, dotted throughout the displays. From trivia tests to moral polling stations, guests are frequently encouraged to display and deepen their knowledge of the world of Panem. In keeping with futuristic world of The Hunger Games, many of the interactive displays are presented digitally, using touch screens and webcams, and there are plenty of opportunities for ‘in-scene’ photos and other immersive activities. But perhaps the most involving element is the aforementioned app, which also allows you to track your progress by collecting Panem Passport stamps and also contains special hidden content that can only be activated at specific locations.
Overall, this is a well-laid out, slickly produced fan experience that will appeal to audiences of all ages. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time – the digital interactive stations will no doubt prove extremely popular and you’ll probably have to fight the crowds to get your hands on them.
The Hunger Games: The Exhibition is on now at ICC Sydney and runs until 5 February. For tickets, visit here.
The reviewer attended a preview on Monday 19 December.
———-
