Set in the year 2130, the exhibition imagines a world where humans have vanished after exhausting Earth’s natural resources. WHAT REMAINS ARE THE OBJECTS WE LEFT BEHIND CLOCKS, STEREOS, TELEVISIONS AND TRINKETS – AND INSIDE THEM, something remarkable is unfolding:
MiniFigs have inherited the planet. A NEW WORLD RISES IN COFFS HARBOUR. But this isn’t a bleak dystopia. It’s a story of renewal, and it’s really fun. Among the relics of mass consumption, new ecosystems are forming. Life is re-emerging in the most unexpected places. Inside forgotten household items, entire MiniFig civilisations are thriving, each one shaped by the object they now call home.
A stately grandfather clock has been transformed into a hub of innovation, where inventive residents have motion, humour and extraordinary detail. What makes RELICS so captivating is the sheer intricacy. Thousands of MiniFigs inhabit the twelve immersive displays, and every single one appears to have a purpose. Some are working, some are celebrating, some are exploring. You’ll find yourself leaning in closer, scanning each scene, knowing you’ve missed something delightful the first time around.
The imaginative worlds were brought to life by LEGO® Masters winners Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler, whose storytelling elevates the exhibition far beyond a traditional brick display. Each installation feels cinematic, layered, clever and unexpectedly emotional. While younger visitors will be instantly drawn to the colour and creativity, adults may find themselves equally enchanted. There’s a thread of nostalgia woven through the experience. Cassette tapes, chunky televisions and analogue gadgets spark memories of a not-so-distant past – a time when you carefully curated mix tapes and physically turned a dial to change the channel.
RELICS: A New World Rises is playful yet thought-provoking, whimsical yet quietly reflective. It asks big questions about consumption and legacy but delivers them with imagination and joy. And now, it’s right here on the Coffs Coast.
Here, Jackson Harvey answers some questions that you’re probably dying to ask!
Where did the original idea for this world come from, and how did it evolve into such a large-scale exhibition?
Besides LEGO, we’ve both always had a love of old antiques, of the stories that a beautiful old objects could hold. In our exhibitions we aim to present LEGO in a new, artistic context, and we realised that by fusing LEGO builds with these vintage objects, it opened up a whole realm of storytelling possibilities that could capture the imagination of young and old
alike. The post-human world was a natural fit for this combination, and once we started to flesh it out, it allowed us to expand the storytelling beyond the builds.
The story centres on LEGO mini figures inheriting the planet and building new civilisations inside forgotten human objects. Why was it important for you to tell this story? A New World Rises is a story about the future of humanity and the planet we live on. The exhibition explores an imagined future, one in which humans continued abusing the planet, and have been replaced by LEGO mini figures. The rate of mass consumptions and manufacturing today is unsustainable, and our exhibiton paints a whimsical, yet dark picture of what the future could look like if we don’t change our ways. Our aim is to use LEGO as a medium to explore these questions about what the future could look like, and help make these difficult topics accessible – particularly to a younger audience.
Each installation feels like a complete universe; whether it’s a ski resort inside an old fridge or a rock concert inside an amplifier. How do you approach worldbuilding with this level of detail? Our creative process starts with selecting the right object. A good relic needs to have a clear, recognisable purpose, a sense of its own character and importantly, an obvious space to build in! Once we crack on to the right idea, we develop the builds by asking questions about what fun or creative ways might the LEGO mini figures come up with to interact with this object? What inspiration could they take from the waste the humans have left behind? The builds are inspired by the objects themselves, and once a good concept is on the table, the stories naturally flow.
The exhibition has previously been shown in major cities across Australia and New Zealand, and now it’s coming to the Yarrila Arts & Museum complex here in Coffs Harbour. What does it mean to bring a show of this scale to a regional gallery forthe first time? We’ve had a stellar run across major cities in Australia and New Zealand and the exhibiton has been seen by over 400,000 people. We’re now grateful for the opportunity to build on our touring experiences and bring our show to regional audiences at Yarrila Arts & Museum.
LEGO Masters introduced your work to a huge audience, but RELICS feels like a deeper, slower experience. How has exhibition work differed creatively from televised competition builds? LEGO Masters gave us a great platform
to showcase our work, but RELICS is the achievement we’re most proud of. The process couldn’t have been more different; for one, there was no ominous ticking red clock above our heads! Being able to take our time to perfect our builds has been a real joy for both of us and allowed us to get much deeper into the details and the intricate storytelling experience.
The exhibition captivates adults just as much as children. Why do you think LEGO continues to resonate so strongly across generations? LEGO is more than a toy to many people it’s a symbol of nostalgia, of play and
connection. Whether you played with it as a kid, your kids play with it, or perhaps you’ve rediscovered it as an adult, LEGO is a pop-cultural mainstay that has enjoyed long-lasting cross-generational appeal. We believe it’s the freedom of creativity and expression that it allows which really sets it apart from other toys, and over the years has solidified its place in the zeitgeist.
The level of craftsmanship is jaw-dropping, and the worlds took years to build. What does collaboration look like for you two across a project of this scale? Managing a project of this scale requires a lot of organisation, close communication, and most importantly of all – play! We have an ongoing motto, ‘relax and have fun’. No matter how complex a project we’re tackling, keeping connected to that sense of play and making the process fun and enjoyable is always the key to a good build.
Finally, what do you hope visitors walk away thinking or feeling after stepping into RELICS – A New World Rises?
We hope that visitors leave RELICS feeling inspired to be playful and creative in their own lives, whether that’s with LEGO or another medium. And beneath the whimsical and colourful LEGO builds, if you look a little deeper there’s some key messaging about mass consumption and our relationship with consumerism.
We hope RELICS prompts people to think about how they recycle, re-use and throw away the mass-manufactured products of material consumption – even LEGO.
