The Story of the Moving Image

From the first projections and optical illusions to the birth of film and beyond, moving images have the power to spark imagination, share stories and shape history. Discover how inventors, innovators and artists have been wielding light, splitting time and capturing motion in a technological revolution that continues today.

Featuring ancient shadow puppets, Victorian-era magic lanterns, original cameras, iconic costumes, movie sets, sketches, clips and contemporary art, The Story of the Moving Image traverses time, countries and cultures in a mesmerising exploration of an art form that changed the world and illuminated our collective humanity.

The exhibition's five sections explore the origins and future of cinema and the moving-image, production design and the creative process, Australian culture and stories, the rise of videogames, and how screens inform, influence and empower us.

But the stories really come to life in the interactive exhibits: visitors will get to animate shadows, craft optical toys, experiment with time, assemble film scenes and create soundscapes in a custom Foley studio.