The Australian Museum — Spiders: Fear & Fascination

Trade Arts designed and built Spiders: Fear & Fascination for The Australian Museum — an immersive, touring exhibition that draws visitors into the world of spiders through augmented reality, interactive media and hands-on discovery.

The experience

• An augmented-reality floor projection where virtual spiders scatter and respond to visitors' movements
• Spider diversity and family connections through interactive touchscreens and VR
• A large-scale interactive map of global spider distribution with video and little-known facts
• Mating rituals and life cycles, including a playful peacock-spider courtship dance
• Sensory experiences revealing how spiders hear, see and communicate
• Hunting techniques and venom, with hands-on "spider agility" activities using different fang types
• The properties of spider silk, shown through specimens including golden orb-weaver silk

The build

The exhibition was designed to be modular for fast pack-down and install with the smallest possible shipping footprint, using materials chosen for durability. All graphics and signage were produced in French and English, with provision for further languages. Exhibit footprint: 465–700 square metres.