Do touch

We all know we can’t touch collection objects or artworks displayed in museums. However, the new display Cast in cast out by First Nations artist Dennis Golding at the Museum of Sydney includes a ‘do touch’ element.

Cast in cast out is a multifaceted artwork that responds to the artist’s experiences and memories of growing up in ‘The Block’, an Aboriginal community in the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern. The work includes ten sculptural panels and fragments cast in resin from original Victorian-era ironwork architectural embellishments that had become worn and damaged over time, creating a rich textural quality. The fragile resin panels are mounted on the gallery walls and, for care and safety reasons, cannot be touched by visitors.

While planning for this display, Curator Dr Jacqui Newling was on a self-directed research trip to Berlin and Stockholm, where several museums included ‘do touch’ opportunities in their exhibits by providing 3D-printed replicas of selected objects. Some were accompanied by Braille interpretation and signage. The display of Cast in cast out offered an excellent opportunity to trial this at the Museum of Sydney. Dennis Golding embraced the idea, and with his permission our designers Dean Scott and Kieran Larkin and Collections Officer Meg Driver 3D-scanned and printed one of the panels from Cast in cast out. The replica is now mounted in the gallery opposite the actual artwork, allowing visitors to feel its shapes and textures. 2D Designer Bruce Smythe created a tactile sign for the ‘invitation to touch’ which includes raised lettering and a translation in Braille, facilitated by staff from Vision Australia.

A five-minute film in which Golding discusses Cast in cast out and its genesis plays on a loop in the gallery, its audio content providing an additional medium for visitors who are blind or have low vision to learn about the artist and his work. Onscreen captioning helps d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, as well as visitors who find reading easier to understand than spoken English. An extended version of the film is available on our website and can be viewed here.

These multisensory initiatives are aimed to make the exhibit more enriching and inclusive for all visitors, including those who may not be able to experience it fully as a visual display.