3 Aug 2026
DAVID HOCKNEY: BIGGER & CLOSER (NOT SMALLER & FURTHER AWAY)
Direct from London and in an Australian first, Carriageworks today announces David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) - a monumental, immersive production from Lightroom London by one of the most celebrated artists of our time, presented from Thursday 22 October 2026.
David Hockney, who recently passed away at the age of 88, is one of the most influential artists of the modern era, reshaping the boundaries of art across a remarkable seven-decade career. Rising to prominence in the 1960s, Hockney became renowned for his fascination with perception, perspective and the act of looking. Across painting, photography, stage design and digital media, he continually embraced new forms and technologies and expanded the possibilities of artistic practice.
A rare opportunity to spend time inthe presence of David Hockney, a pioneering contemporary artist whose influence spans the 20th and 21st centuries, David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) will transform the iconic industrial architecture of
Carriageworks’ Bay 17into a four-sided, large-scale digital environment. Originally conceived for London’s Lightroom exhibition space in close collaboration with Hockney, the Sydney presentation marks the production’s Australian debut. Since opening in London in February 2023, the exhibition has captivated audiences in Manchester, Shanghai and Seoul, welcoming over 650,000 visitors around the world.
Bringing together painting, photography, drawing and digital media, the show is a multi-sensory experience that unfolds across image, sound and space. In a cycle of six themed chapters, with a specially composed score by Nico Muhly and narrated by Hockney himself, Hockney reveals his process.
His voice guides the viewer as they observe his early experiments with perspective, using photography as a way of ‘drawing with a camera’, capturing the passing of time in his composite Polaroids and photographic collages and the joy of spring on his iPad, and showing us why only paint can properly convey the hugeness of the Grand Canyon. Audiences join him on his audio-visual Wagner Drive, roaring up into the San Gabriel Mountains, and into the opera house by means of animated re-creations of his stage designs.
Ever the pioneer, Hockney’s close collaboration with Lightroom London to create Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) was their very first presentation. His life-long fascination with the possibilities of new media was given vibrant expression in this exhibition.
RICHARD SLANEY, CEO OF LIGHTROOM AND PRODUCER OF BIGGER AND CLOSER, SAID: “To work directly with David Hockney for a number of years to create Bigger & Closer (not smaller and further away) was a huge privilege, and to be able to share it with a new audience in Australia is thrilling for us. The show is driven by David’s philosophy - to take things in; to look closely; to know what it is you’re looking at; to really look. The show was created to allow audiences to step into David’s process and to experience the wonder and magic of seeing things his way.”
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) is presented by Carriageworks and Andrew Kay and Associates with Lexus. Opening in October, the exhibition is set to become a defining feature of Sydney’s cultural calendar throughout summer. At Carriageworks, the experience will come to life within one of Australia’s most distinctive cultural spaces - continuing the organisation’s commitment to presenting ambitious, genre-defying works.
FERGUS LINEHAN, CEO OF CARRIAGEWORKS, SAID: “Four years ago, I stood in the still unfinished Lightroom in London’s King’s Cross as the project’s CEO, Richard Slaney, told me about their dream of working with the world’s finest artists, designers and musicians to create a new kind of storytelling. Their first port of call was the incomparable David Hockney, an artist whose insatiable appetite for innovation is matched by the dazzling possibilities of this completely new type of venue. Together, they created something that is part visual art, part theatre and part cinema. Little did we know that, just a few months before we finally realised this glorious project in Sydney, David Hockney would leave us. Hockney’s work sits in our imagination in ways that feel deeply familiar to Sydneysiders: deep blue waters, bright green foliage and shimmering bodies. Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) is a chance to enter this world in the most visceral of ways, and to celebrate an artist who left us with the simplest and most profound of mottos: “Love Life.”
ANDREW KAY AM, DIRECTOR OF ANDREW KAY AND ASSOCIATES, SAID: “I’m thrilled to be working with Lightroom and Carriageworks to bring this extraordinary exhibition to Sydney audiences. David Hockney spent a lifetime teaching us to look more closely at the world, and this production is a fitting tribute to that legacy – an immersive celebration of one of the great artistic minds of our time, presented here in Australia for the very first time.”
LEXUS AUSTRALIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE JACK HOBBS, SAID: “Hockney is a true pioneer, an artist who has continually embraced new technologies and ways of seeing, while remaining deeply committed to human craftsmanship. His belief in observing the world with greater focus and intensity strongly resonates with Lexus’ own philosophy. This shared passion for innovation, artistry and meaningful experience makes this partnership a natural alignment. Lexus is honoured to support the arrival of this extraordinary exhibition for Australian audiences.”
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and events agency, Destination NSW.
DAVID HOCKNEY: BIGGER & CLOSER (NOT SMALLER & FURTHER AWAY)
Bay 17, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015
22 October 2026
Tickets available from 3August 2026 atlightroomatcarriageworks.au
ABOUT DAVID HOCKNEY: BIGGER & CLOSER (NOT SMALLER & FURTHER AWAY): The show’s director, Mark Grimmer of 59, a Journey studio: “We worked with David to bring together large-scale projected images, animation, archival and bespoke interviews and a commissioned score to create a new kind of show which owes as much to Hockney’s theatrical design as to his painting, drawing and photography. It was thrilling to work with David, and we hope the show will introduce a whole new audience to his art.”
ABOUT DAVID HOCKNEY: David Hockney (1937-2026) is one of the most influential artists of the contemporary era, with a career spanning more than seven decades. Renowned for his continual reinvention, his work is defined by a sustained exploration of perception, perspective and the act of looking, alongside a deep commitment to depicting the world around him. After training at the Bradford School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, Hockney rose to prominence in the 1960s, developing a distinctive figurative style following his move to Los Angeles. There he created some of his most iconic works, including his celebrated swimming pool paintings and psychologically charged double portraits.
Across painting, photography, stage design and digital media, Hockney consistently expanded the possibilities of artistic practice. From pioneering photographic collages and designing landmark opera productions to embracing new technologies such as the iPhone and iPad, his work reflects an enduring curiosity and openness to innovation. In later years, his return to landscape - particularly in Yorkshire and Normandy - produced large-scale works and immersive digital projects that continued to redefine how audiences engage with image and space. Hockney’s prolific output remained grounded in a spirit of inquiry, technical mastery and a lifelong belief in the vitality and beauty of visual experience.
ABOUT LIGHTROOM: Lightroom reimagines immersive experiences through groundbreaking collaborations with leading artistic talents across art, music, film, fashion, science, and more.
A joint venture between 59 Studio and London Theatre Company, Lightroom was founded in 2023 by Nick Starr CBE and its CEO, Richard Slaney. The company is backed by investors led by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, who is represented by Danny Cohen, President of Access Entertainment and Mike Sherwood, former co-CEO of Goldman Sachs International. Lightroom’s innovative show space in London, King’s Cross was designed by 59 Studio in collaboration with Haworth Tompkins.
Lightroom’s shows are currently playing in venues across South Korea, China, the USA and in Europe via a major partnership with Culturespaces which sees Lightroom shows presented across Culturespaces’ network of European venues.
Lightroom’s critically acclaimed shows include David Hockney: Bigger & Closer, The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks, and Vogue: Inventing the Runway, Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs and David Bowie: You’re Not Alone.
ABOUT CARRIAGEWORKS: Carriageworks is one of Australia’s most significant creative industry hubs, renowned for its dynamic cultural events, performances, and exhibitions. Housed in a historic railway workshop in Sydney on Gadigal Land, Carriageworks offers a vibrant platform for theatre, music, dance, food events, kids programming and more, collaborating with leading local and international artists to foster innovation and creativity in its distinctive industrial setting.
IMAGERY AND VIDEO: Available to download here.
IMAGERY CREDIT: David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) Photo by Justin Sutcliffe © David Hockney MEDIA CONTACT: For further information or to request media interviews, please contact:
Tatiana Marchant - Project Publicist, Estellar PR tatiana@estellar.com.au / 0410 655 020
Aviva Waks - Communications Manager, Carriageworks aviva.w@carriageworks.com.au / 02 8571 9099