Modern museums – how to tell the story of Australia

Who gets to tell the story of Australia?  

This is the question always at the forefront of Michael Dagostino’s mind. Michael’s the Director of Museums and Cultural Engagement at the University of Sydney, meaning he oversees its famous Chau Chak Wing museum. The museum houses tens of thousands of objects, all of which tell a story.  

But how does an object tell a story? And how does the way we collect and house them affect that story?  

Michael shares how art offered him a sense of place and identity as an outcast kid, and how he adopts the mindset of a journalist when curating an exhibition. You’ll also hear from Marika Duczynski, Chau Chak Wing’s Indigenous heritage curator, about her favourite objects in the museum and how they help her connect with women who lived in Sydney hundreds or even thousands of years ago.  

And if you’re in Sydney, you can pay a free visit to the Chau Chak Wing museum FREE. Details here. 

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and sound recording by Harry Hughes. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

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