Overview
Is there a tidbit, truth or story that you've always kept hush-hush, revealing it to no one? Would you like to get it off your chest anonymously — and as part of an exhibition? Queensland Museum wants you to disclose all, whether it's about that clandestine crush that you had years back or the fact that you don't really see the fuss about chocolate but would never publicly admit it. The South Bank venue might also put whatever you share on display at Secrets: Objects of Intrigue.
Opening on Saturday, December 14, 2024, the site's latest free exhibition explores details kept under wraps, as well as the human need for secrets, to get visitors thinking about what we leave untold and why, what that says about us and how it makes us feel. Unsurprisingly, espionage will also feature. Spy gadgets, items with hidden compartments, covert weapons: they'll all be included. So will a digital display with secrets from Brisbanites, based on submissions via Queensland Museum's website.
Secrets in everyday life, secrets in pop culture, secrets in history: expect them all to be touched upon as well. Also, the exhibition will reveal some secrets of its own, too. Queensland Museum advises that visitors should peer deeply at the displays — and that more will be unveiled if you take a closer look.
"Secrets: Objects of Intrigue offers visitors a chance to share their secrets and view a range of objects that reveal the myriad of ways secrets have shaped human experience," explains Dr Jim Thompson, Queensland Museum's CEO.
"The exhibition encourages visitors to explore how hidden aspects of our lives can influence our identities, relationships and societal structures while showcasing some of the more unique objects from Queensland Museum's collection."
Secrets: Objects of Intrigue joins Discovering Ancient Egypt, which hails from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities and boasts more than 200 objects, as a reason to delve into the past at South Bank across the summer of 2024–25.
If you're keen to submit a secret, be aware that they will be moderated and not everything will make it into the exhibition.
Secrets: Objects of Intrigue opens at Queensland Museum, corner of Grey and Melbourne streets, South Bank, South Brisbane, on Saturday, December 14, 2024. Head to the museum's website for more details — and to share your own secrets.