ellaslist reviews: Tyama at Melbourne Museum

Recently my husband, son and I found ourselves looking for some fun to do outside of the house but also wanting to escape the chilly Melbourne Winter. As usual, Melbourne Museum delivered. 

Strolling through picturesque Carlton Gardens for an hour's escape from the bustling (and chilly!) CBD, we arrive at Melbourne Museum for Tyama: A deeper sense of knowing. The exhibition is described as a multisensory digital experience of Country, set to transport us to a magnified, amplified nature trip of Victorian land and sea at night.

Tyama takes you deep into the heart of Australia.

Told through aboriginal wisdom and the senses of our native animals – namely moths, bats, and fish – Tyama (Cha-Muh) is a world away from the concrete jungle outside.

Fun, educational, beautiful, and awe-inspiring, the multisensory experience makes a wonderous playground for adults and children alike. The enormous, colourful installations are interactive: they respond to movements and sound and follow you around the room so you can feel immersed in it, like a part of Country, as you shape your own experience. 

It also makes it a perfect engaging exhibition for all ages, with my 15-month-old having a great time watching his movements change his surroundings. 

Experience the Beauty of Nature on an Unparalleled Grand Scale

 

The exhibition features some of the largest screens in Victoria, with 47 projectors and 80 speakers. Cutting-edge technology merges with treasures from Museums Victoria's collections so we can experience the beauty of nature on an unparalleled grand scale.

We begin in a giant room with floor-to-ceiling projections and cinematic soundscapes transporting us into nature at dusk: we are moths in flight at sunset. Flowers blossom among swaying leaves as fireflies and neon dragonflies illuminate the scene. 

We are covered in the coloured lights – ourselves a canvas – while making shapes with our shadows and following the flurry (or is it following us?).

In the next room, we are bats travelling through black night, clapping loud as we make our way through. We see the sound waves we create represented in circles of light that ripple out all around the cave-like space. This is so we can understand how bats make sense of Country: by echolocation.

Next, The Reef

 

After that comes the reef. We are nocturnal fish swimming through the ocean shallows. Marine communities go about their business, occasionally responding to our waving arms; schools of fish turn the other way. We explore haunting kelp forests, swim with whales and stand in the presence of epic Songlines that connect us all. It was honestly the most awe-inspiring and humbling experience for our family and I can not reccomend it enough to you and your family.

Developed in collaboration with Keerray Woorroong citizens Yoolongteeyt Dr Vicki Couzensand Yaraan Bundle, this new museum exhibition allows us all to gain a deeper understanding of First Peoples' knowledge and connection to nature – while exploring our own.

Tyama means 'to know' in the Keerray Woorroong language. That is, to know with our mind, our whole body and all our senses. The essence of this word is that knowledge is precious: earned through deep engagement with the world around us.

 

Yoolongteeyt Dr Vicki Couzens said: "Tyama will re-awaken our senses and remind us that every animal has something to teach us and a story to tell through Indigenous ways of Being, Knowing and Doing. Through this experience, we are encouraging visitors to care for Country."

Tyama is a self-guided experience for all ages and abilities that will take approximately 25 to 40 minutes. 

Where:  Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson St, Carlton
When:   Daily | 9am - 5pm
Cost:     With Museum Entry - Adult $30: Child $12: Museum Members $12; Family $65
              Exhibition Only - Adult $23; Child $12; Family $50.

Find out more and book now at Tyama at Melbourne Museum.

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