What do you think of Wes Anderson films? For this writer, they're hit or miss. There's Fantastic Mr. Fox, there's Asteroid City. There's The Grand Budapest Hotel, there's The Royal Tenenbaums (debate me on this point). Aside from a stellar cast and eye-catching acting, if a film isn't just a sarcastic, well-mannered curio, but goes deep into character and story, it definitely ranks high. If it doesn't… not so much.
But what remains constant is the look: a carefully curated and incredibly well designed production that is all about the locations and sets… one might even say at the expense of the rest of the film. Accidentally Wes Anderson (AWA) started as a bucket list trip for a traveler captivated by the aesthetic of Anderson's films, and who regularly seeks out striking real-life locations that look like they could have been taken straight out of an Anderson film.
The filmmaker himself wrote a foreword for Wally Koval's book of the same name, which brings together many of the images from the shoot in one place. And now the project has rapidly expanded to include a traveling exhibition, a shop and a book exploring the concept, and is home to a global community of enthusiasts of Anderson's imagery. You can even access a map showing the locations of Anderson-inspired buildings and places around the globe.
“Accidental Wes Anderson”, installation view. Image: ArtsHub.
The exhibition is currently taking place across a series of rooms in central Melbourne, showcasing a selection of photographs from the project, using Anderson-inspired backdrops as well as some appropriate objects and settings.
The exhibit isn't huge, with around 200 photographs spread across a few rooms, but once you get past the first room or two, the clever whimsy of the photography starts to feel a little more personal. The hotel's chocolate-box façade and block colours are used liberally. To enhance the experience and make it feel more 3D, there are some odd objects on display to add to the atmosphere, such as a desk with a vintage orange typewriter, old water skis attached to a boathouse door, a lifeguard station, a yellow telescope and a railroad crossing sign. As well as colourful and wallpapered walls with framed photographs.
“Accidental Wes Anderson”, installation view. Image: ArtsHub.
But for locals, it's probably the Melbourne room that resonates strongest, showcasing images of the city's most striking landmarks, including Luna Park, the treetop cows of Docklands, the beloved Palais and Clifton Hill's magnificent Art Deco architecture – sadly now a fast-food joint but undiminished by any measure – and it's rather invigorating, and a little proud, to see them alongside similarly evocative images from around the world.
Read: Exhibition Review: The Art World Has Arrived: Macquarie Gallery, Ngunungurra
Oh, and if images aren't enough, you can also up the entertainment factor with a photo me booth and cotton candy cart.
“Accidentally Wes Anderson” runs at 360 Bourke Street, Level 1, Melbourne CBD until November 3, 2024. Tickets cost $21-$29.
