Penique Productions Unveils MATRIA at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building

Barcelona-based collective Penique Productions has transformed Melbourne’s iconic Royal Exhibition Building with MATRIA — a monumental inflatable, translucent installation in monochromatic pink. Presented as part of the 2025 Now or Never arts festival (August 21–31), the work reimagines the 19th-century landmark as a living, breathing organism.

Inside, the space becomes a warm, womb-like environment infused with sound, memory, and care.

The name MATRIA itself references “mother” and “motherland,” underlining its themes of refuge and intimacy. Made from gossamer plastic that sways gently with air currents, the structure cloaks the building’s contours like an ephemeral membrane, continuously inflated through air pressure and heat-welded seams.

Measuring 150 meters long, 50 meters wide, and reaching 60 meters high at the dome, the installation filters daylight into a soft, immersive pink glow. Beyond its sculptural presence, MATRIA doubles as a performance stage: Berlin’s rRoxymore brings electronic textures from Juggling Dualities; Alex Zhang Hungtai explores saxophone, synthesis, and percussion within the resonant architecture; and Melbourne’s Amber McCartney presents Leech 2 with prosthetics, masks, and movement, accompanied by Sicilian sound designer Shapednoise (Nino Pedone).

Co-created in partnership with Museums Victoria, MATRIA will remain on view at the Royal Exhibition Building until August 31, 2025, offering audiences a rare chance to experience architecture wrapped in sound, light, and breath.