Costumes from Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM on View at Highpoint Shopping Centre

For a limited time, Melbourne residents have the opportunity to get up-close to a selection of the stunning costumes from TOTEM, the awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil production now playing under the Big Top at Flemington Racecourse.

The exhibition of six costumes from TOTEM is currently showing at Highpoint Shopping Centre, outside Mecca Maxima on Level 3 until February 23 2015. The exhibition will then transfer to Southgate Centre and will be on display on the Level 1 Mezzanine from March 5 to 23 2015.

These costumes represent the wonderful work of Australia's own Kym Barrett, the TOTEM costume designer who is best known around the world for her work in films including Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, The Matrix series and the upcoming Jupiter Ascending, set for release on February 19, starring Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum.

TOTEM explores the fascinating journey of the evolution of mankind and our close connection to the animal world. Kym Barrett's detailed design process entailed research into real animals, plants and birds, as well as traditional cultural and tribal designs to inspire her fanciful, inventive concoctions. Her other major preoccupation was TOTEM's theme of evolution, which lead her to emphasise the importance of the human body at every opportunity.

Says Barrett of the costumes, "Although TOTEM is quite fantastical, there's also a sense of reality. The costumes were inspired in part by documentary film."

TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil is currently performing under the blue-and-yellow Big Top at Flemington Racecourse until March 29, 2015. Combining mesmerising acrobatic acts and stunning visual effects, TOTEM features a cast of 46 world- class acrobats, actors, musicians and singers.

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