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WWI global touring exhibition in Melbourne

Source: Imperial War Museum London

Major world premiere exhibition in 2015

Melbourne will host a major world premiere exhibition in 2015 marking the centenary of the First World War, Minister for the Arts Heidi Victoria has announced.

Speaking at the Melbourne Museum, Ms Victoria announced that The WWI Centenary Exhibition: The War That Changed The World, from the Imperial War Museum London, would open on 18 April 2015, in the lead up to the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing.

“The Imperial War Museum is home to an extraordinary collection of objects, artworks, photographs and rare film footage from the First World War, and it is widely considered the global authority on modern war and conflict,” Ms Victoria said.

“This exhibition will bring to Australia 350 carefully selected items from the Imperial War Museum’s extensive collections, and present them in an innovative, immersive and compelling way.”

Ms Victoria said the exhibition, the Imperial War Museum’s first venture outside Britain, will be a feature of Melbourne’s major events calendar in 2015.

“We are honoured that Imperial War Museum  has selected Melbourne Museum as the exclusive Australian venue for this important exhibition and the starting point of its first ever global tour.

“I have no doubt that visitors of all ages will be profoundly moved, informed and inspired by the exhibition, and will come from across Victoria and around the country to see it.”

The Imperial War Museum was founded in 1917, while the First World War was still being fought, to collect and record the stories of the millions who lived through the war and in particular those who served and died. Imperial War Museum London is the flagship of the museum’s family of five internationally recognised museums and has recently reopened to great acclaim after a major redevelopment.

The WW1 Centenary Exhibition is being presented by Imperial War Museum in partnership with IEC Exhibitions, and is supported by the Victorian Coalition Government.

[Information drawn from Premier of Victoria media release.  For more information click here]