A playful exploration of a darker topic, demonstrating how curiosity and thoughtful research can help us navigate today’s information-saturated world, Make Believe: Encounters with Misinformation is on display at State Library Victoria.
“This exhibition couldn’t be more timely. Misinformation is everywhere, from historical myths that persist for centuries to digital-age distortions that spread in seconds,” said State Library Victoria CEO, Paul Duldig.
“Make Believe is a playful exploration of a darker topic, inviting visitors to reflect on how we process information, why we believe what we do, and the powerful ways misinformation influences our world.’
Visually rich and deeply thought-provoking, Make Believe transforms the Library’s Keith Murdoch Gallery into a world of mirrored illusions, glowing 90s screensaver greens, and surreal interactive moments.
Juxtaposing historical collection material with bold new commissions by Victorian artists, the exhibition asks visitors not just what’s true – but why they believe it.
Visitors to the exhibition will encounter four major themes – our planet, our bodies, our histories, and our freedoms – through powerful case studies:
- Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa artist Charlotte Allingham reclaims the myth of terra nullius through the lens of 1960s advertising, restoring Blak presence and exposing environmental spin.
- Scotty So interrogates the reliability of photography and archives in a deepfake era, using beauty, queerness and humour to question what we trust.
- Professor Helen O’Connell, Anita Brown-Major and Dr Jennifer Hayes expose how centuries of misinformation about female anatomy still shape medical knowledge today.
- Dr Sofi Basseghi draws on her Iranian heritage to show how women’s voices and stories survive through art and poetry – acts of resistance and preservation in the face of suppression.
“The pervasiveness of misinformation in our lives can make us feel powerless. Make Believe takes a proactive approach by highlighting the agency we have to redress the problem,” said State Library Victoria Senior Curator, Linda Short.
“From thousand-year-old Persian poetry preserving concealed truths to groundbreaking medical research debunking harmful beliefs about female anatomy, Make Believe demonstrates how curiosity and thoughtful research can help us navigate today’s information-saturated world.”
Make Believe is more than a traditional exhibition – it’s an invitation to pause and examine what we believe, and why. It will be accompanied by a dynamic public program including the return of the iconic Library Up Late series on 12 June – a vibrant after-hours event filled with panel discussions, performances and creative encounters.
Make Believe: Encounters with Misinformation
Keith Murdoch Gallery – State Library Victoria, Swanston Street, Melbourne
Exhibition continues to 26 January 2026
Free entry
For more information, visit www.slv.vic.gov.au for details.
Image: Sofi Basseghi in collaboration with actor and performer Salme Geransar, Seven Portraits – Unbound 2025 (detail), multi-channel video installation, sound composition by Ai Yamamoto. Supported by RMIT School of Art Staff Research Fund – image courtesy of the artist