A pink and blue ball pit, a bathtub filled with ‘bubbles’, a wall of colourful fur, and a giant birthday cake – it may sound like an Alice in Wonderland sequel, but this place actually exists. Welcome to Canberra’s very own Selfie Museum!
Canberra Daily journalist, Abbey Halter, spent a fun-filled morning at the new interactive exhibition in Belconnen testing out some of the over 35 quirky set designs, along with our enthusiastic guest, local Olympian, Laura Peel.
Diving straight into the ball pit, playing blow-up beach ball volleyball in the summer installation, and then finding herself inside a birthday cake, Laura’s grin was ear to ear. The ball pit was the biggest hit with Laura and Abbey, and their inner children spending a little too much of the morning jumping into the sea of pink and blue.
However, it’s not just for Olympians and journalists – owner of the unique venture, 31-year-old Chris Krajacic says the Selfie Museum is “for everyone”.
His inspiration for the Museum came from observing similar businesses pop up across the world and he saw a market gap right here in Canberra.
“I liked the idea of doing lots of small installations and trying to get into the creative and photography world in Canberra,” says Chris.
Chris commented that the joint has been open for about two months, and so far, the response from the Canberra community has been positive.
“It’s a fun place to come on a date, or just take some photos with some friends. The main people that have been coming so far are lots of models and photographers at this stage,” says Chris.
“Anyone who has come in so far… their reaction is ‘wow!’ as soon as they walk into the space because we’ve got over 35 sets here, so it’s heaps of variety on offer. People seem to really like it!
“But it’s aimed at just anyone, that’s the goal – make something fun to do in Canberra.”
Proud as punch of his creation, Chris built every last set and design in the Belconnen building, with a little help from local Canberra artist Alyssa Catelli.
“It’s a labour of love… but it’s a fun thing to do. I think the results pay off for the work, and it’s good to come up with an idea, install it, and see it in action within a couple of days,” smiled Chris.
“Gluing 600 ducks to the wall, putting up hundreds of butterflies, many hours of painting, 3,000 balls in each ball pit, 700 ribbons hanging from the wall… yeah, lots of work.”
If he had to choose his favourite installation he’s created, Chris says he loves the giant, three-tiered birthday cake.
Quite the local entrepreneur, Chris also co-founded the Canberra entertainment venues Riddle Room and Axxe. He strives to turn around Canberra’s reputation for “being boring” and give the city some exciting and vibrant places for locals and visitors to experience.
To find out more about the Selfie Museum, visit https://selfiemuseum.com.au/
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