Step into the enchanting world of once upon a time. From opulent carriages to sumptuous gowns, twisted woodlands to mystical mirrors, ‘Fairy Tales’ at GOMA explores centuries of beloved folk stories through art, design and film.

‘Fairy Tales’ features the work of artists Abdul Abdullah, Del Kathryn Barton, Destiny Deacon, Gustave Doré, Rachel Feinstein, Trulee Hall, Carsten Höller, Anish Kapoor, Yayoi Kusama, Ron Mueck, Tracey Moffatt, Henrique Oliveira, Polixeni Papapetrou, Patricia Piccinini, Kiki Smith, Jana Sterbak and many others. It includes original papercuts by Hans Christian Andersen, a nineteenth-century photograph by Lewis Carroll and a costume designed by Henri Matisse for the Ballets Russes adaptation of ‘The Nightingale’. Also featured are film costumes and props from Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bête 1946, Jacques Demy’s Donkey Skin 1970, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth 1986, Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are 2009, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland 2010, Tarsem Singh’s Mirror Mirror 2012, Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella 2015 and more.

‘Fairy Tales’ was on display in GOMA’s Foyer, Gallery 1.1 (The Fairfax Gallery), Gallery 1.2 & Gallery 1.3 (Eric and Marion Taylor Gallery) until 24 April 2024. A free curated film program screens alongside the exhibition in the Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque. 

Find out more about Collection works featured in ‘Fairy Tales’ below, or explore the full exhibition catalogue.

Feature image: Del Kathryn Barton / Australia b.1972 / Brendan Fletcher b.unknown / The Nightingale and the Rose (still) 2015 / Gift of Del Kathryn Barton through the QAGOMA Foundation 2022. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program / © Del Kathryn Barton / Image courtesy: The artist and RoslynOxley9 Gallery, Sydney