Miniature Worlds at QVMAG shows off Launceston in miniature arts movement

The showcase of tiny creations from Tasmanian, mainland and internationally recognised artists explores the miniaturist art movement growing throughout the world.

Visitors will recognise the Launceston Gasworks tower in excruciating detail, along with notable Launnie locations like Birchalls car park and even local member for Bass Bridget Archer MPs' office.

Melbourne based artist David Hourigan, who built the Gasworks tower, said he drove his works over on the Spirit of Tasmania.

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"My car was full and I was very aware of how delicate they all were," Mr Hourigan said.

"I used to make models when I was a kid, and eventually I grew out of it; it just had no meaning to me."

But it was a love of his local architecture that later inspired him to pick up the tiny tools again, and put meaning into his work.

"There were lots of buildings in the area that I really loved that were falling down, or in danger of being knocked down," Mr Hourigan said.

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"I thought I'd give it a go and just see if it gains any interest; I thought maybe the architecture or scale model nerds would be interested.

"But the interest in the community blows me away every time.

"It just astounds me how many people are into miniatures, so the fact that there's an entire exhibition just about it I think it proves to me everybody's fascinated by them."

For Sydney based artist Mylyn Nguyen, making miniatures has been part of her life since she was two-years-old.

"I was making miniatures in high school and then art school as well, but I used to integrate that with a lot of other materials and bigger works," Ms Nguyen said.

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She said it was "absolutely cool" to see her work in a collective exhibition.

"I find that in a show like this, everyone has a seat at the good table," she said.

Adelaide based artist Josh Smith said his venture into miniature art started as an accident.

"I used to do stencil work and I made a miniature building and put a stencil onto it for an art prize," Mr Smith said.

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"I won and I was like, oh my God, I think I've opened a new thing here."

"This is probably the first time that an exhibition of this scale has happened in Australia; I did previously co- curate another exhibition in Melbourne, but to the level of such an international cast of amazing artists, this is the first time in Australia."

Miniature Worlds opens October 14 and runs until February 2.

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