The gallery was created by a team of professional scenic artists from Korea who spent several months painting the murals by hand.
The facility is designed as a 'trick-art' museum, a genre that uses trompe-l'œil techniques to fool the human eye into perceiving three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface.
Unlike traditional museums, ArtVo explicitly forbids 'do not touch' policies, requiring visitors to interact with the art to make the illusions work.
The gallery is situated inside The District Docklands, a retail and entertainment precinct built on reclaimed harbor land.
ArtVo is an immersive, trick-art gallery located in Melbourne's Docklands district. The gallery features over 80 large-scale, hand-painted murals designed to create 3D optical illusions when viewed from specific camera angles. Visitors are encouraged to touch, interact with, and physically enter the artwork to complete the perspective. The collection is organized into various themed zones, including landscapes, wildlife, and surrealist settings. It operates as a self-guided experience where guests become the subjects of their own optical photographs. The facility covers approximately 1,900 square meters of floor space. Most exhibits are designed specifically for smartphone photography, using forced perspective to manipulate depth and size.
The 'Angel Wings' or the 'Grand Canyon' murals, which are designed for centered, high-impact composition.
Bring a fully charged smartphone or camera, as you will be taking dozens of photos.
Wear clothing that allows for easy movement or posing, as you may need to sit, lie on the floor, or jump to match the artwork's theme.
Check the floor markings or camera icons placed throughout the gallery, which indicate the exact 'sweet spot' for capturing the best perspective.
Attempting to take photos without looking through your camera viewfinder, as the illusion will not be visible to the naked eye from most angles.
