ABSTRACT
<<ABSTRACT Having considered Australian museums as recipients of international exhibitions trading on known topics to heighten brand recognition and visitation this chapter turns to look at Australian museums as producers of such content. It begins by examining the traditional criticisms of blockbusters; their lack of local material, lack of scholarship and collection research. We ask whether these criticisms are relevant in Australia. To address this question, we can chart two parallel narratives: the presentation of Australian stories – so often displaced in the push towards large-scale blockbusters – and the presentation of Australian scholarship and creativity. These narratives provide an important example of how Australia is contributing to international discourse on blockbuster exhibitions, and provides further evidence of its importance in this wider history. We argue that partnerships both outside and across the museum industry are fundamental: opening access to resources and helping Australian organisations to export exhibits globally. Ultimately this chapter considers how scholarship and research have found their way into blockbuster-scaled exhibitions.
Key exhibitions
Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route, Canberra, 2011
Games Masters: The Exhibition, Melbourne, 2012
DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition, Melbourne, 2014
Tyrannosaurus: Meet the Family, Sydney, 2014
Spiders: Alive and Deadly, Sydney, 2015–16>>
