Squish, Twist, Fizz: Mika Rottenberg for Kids

As part of the 2026 NGV Triennial, a new children's exhibition by artist Mika Rottenberg will take kids on a surreal journey. At the heart of the exhibition is Cosmic Generator, 2017, a video work by Rottenberg that travels through brightly lit underground tunnels, where viewers happen upon people dressed as tacos and in business suits, women working in market stalls filled with sparkly decorations and plastic goods, and rickety food carts ambling along the border between Mexico and the United States. By linking seemingly unrelated places and materials together, Rottenberg is suggesting that everything in our world may be more connected than it appears.

Extending beyond the screen, Squish, Twist, Fizz invites children into a hands-on environment inspired by the film's textures, colours and movement. Highlighting Rottenberg's interest in sensory experiences and tactile materials and processes, young participants can take part in drawing activities, play with light and sound, and make sculptures using twistable stems and forms made from plastic waste collected from the streets of New York City.