Inside the Collection

Category: Exhibitions

Wedding dress of nylon, lace and seed pearls, made by Bonwit Teller

Love is… Highlights from the MAAS wedding dress collection

February 13, 2018

Glynis Jones
Marriage has been practiced in myriad forms across time and communities. It has no universal model and is in a frequent state of flux as it adjusts and responds to the changing political, economic and social milieu.
Photograph of the Plasma Ball in Experimentations

Experimentations Upgrade

December 13, 2017

Sarah Reeves
The Experimentations exhibition opened in 1988 and has proved popular with our younger visitors ever since. Aimed at children aged 5-12 years, their parents, teachers and carers, the exhibition is designed to be an informal learning space that inspires curiosity and questioning, and allows visitors to play and experiment with materials and processes.
Fashion shoot in front of Sydney Opera House

Faith Fashion Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia

December 7, 2017

Glynis Jones
Project Manager Kate Ford and Curator Glynis Jones recently installed Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) travelling exhibition Faith Fashion Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in Kuala Lumpur.
'I'm Voting Yes' poster, Unions NSW, 2017

Marriage Equality: for posterity

November 15, 2017

Damian McDonald
  In 2004, the Liberal government under John Howard rushed legislation into parliament which changed the definition of marriage in Australia. The 2004 amendments are: 5 (1) marriage means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.
Photograph, Wedding portrait of Fiona (Fanni) Macris and Basilios Minas

Stories of love, migration and community

October 3, 2017

Vanessa Thorne
Love takes us on a journey. Today I'd like to take you on a heartfelt journey exploring some experiences of women with Greek heritage unearthed during my research for a migration and community story for the Love Is…Australian Wedding Fashion exhibition.
Mannequins of George and Charis Schwarz with their motorcycle on display in Love Is exhibition

Love affair with a 1965 BMW motorcycle

September 20, 2017

Margaret Simpson
I recently acquired a classic 1965 BMW R50 model 500cc touring and sports motorcycle. It's in wonderful condition and has been lovingly owned and maintained by the donors, Charis and George Schwarz, in Sydney for over 50 years.
Photograph of the Moon 1899-1930.

Microgravity – A small exhibition

July 5, 2017

Andrew Jacob
In late 2016 the exhibition Gravity (and Wonder) explored the human fascination with gravity, space and time through scientific investigations and artistic explorations. In a partnership between Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences curators Dr Lee-Anne Hall and Katie Dyer developed a three month program of events & workshops to support the exhibition.
Inside/Out, Sebastian Zagarella

World AIDS Day 2016

November 28, 2016

Damian McDonald
HIV is still here - and it's on the move For folk who lived through the 1980s, AIDS was an omnipresent gargoyle. The disease was part of the contemporary culture. It had insinuated itself into current affairs stories and commercials, into youth culture, gay culture, tea-room discussions, into jokes, bullying; and into people’s bodies.
Neptune's Daughter poster 1915

Annette Kellerman myths

November 23, 2016

Peter Cox
Sometimes luminaries in popular culture are called 'legends'. A legend is a story that has been handed down and is popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated. The legend of Annette Kellerman goes like this -- born in Marrickville, she recovered from polio as a child, invented the one-piece swimsuit, was arrested in Boston for wearing it and became a Hollywood movie star.
Photograph of 3D Interactive Touchscreens

3D scanning Icons from the MAAS Collection

October 21, 2016

Arul Baskaran
Visitors to the recently opened Icons exhibition will notice two large screens installed in one of the title walls, featuring rotating 3D models of objects from the exhibition. The screens invite visitors to “touch and explore” the 3D models.
Million Dollar Mermaid: Annette Kellerman, exhibition views

Looking for the mermaid: developing the Annette Kellerman visual installation

October 12, 2016

Anni Turnbull
I am still looking for my chest of gold in a cool dripping sea cave -- though a professional mermaid for the movies, I still wait to see my first real one sitting on a damp grey rock combing her long green hair.1 The exhibition Million Dollar Mermaid: Annette Kellerman features a visual installation projected onto a set, creating an immersive, sensory environment.
Out of Hand: materialising the digital, exhibition views.

An interview with Matthew Connell, curator of ‘Out of Hand: Materialising the digital’ exhibition

September 21, 2016

Anni Turnbull
  Matthew Connell, was lead curator on Out of Hand. Here he discusses his approach to the exhibition with fellow MAAS curator Anni Turnbull. What is the exhibition about? It’s a look at the world of digital manufacturing and an acknowledgement that the digital world is now imposing itself on the material world in a way that breaks down a long standing dichotomy.