Behind the scenes of Make Believe with the curators

State Library Victoria’s latest exhibition, Make Believe: Encounters with Misinformation, explores how misinformation shapes our understanding of the world. It invites us to think about what we believe, and why.

Make Believe features new works by Melbourne-based artists who have drawn from the Library’s collection as a response to misinformation, alongside the work of prominent scientists and researchers. 

Exhibition curators Linda Short and Georgia Goud share some insights into the making of the exhibition with us and reveal some surprises and highlights from Make Believe. 

Linda and Georgia, misinformation is such a big topic right now. Make Believe feels like a very timely exhibition. Can you tell us a little bit about the exhibition, and why you feel it’s important?

The sheer scale of misinformation can be overwhelming, making it easy to slip into apathy. We created Make Believe in response to that feeling. Rather than simply highlighting the problem, we wanted to offer a proactive and thought-provoking experience – one that invites reflection and fosters a sense of possibility and hope.

Recent research shows that one of the most effective ways to counter misinformation isn’t just by presenting facts, but by understanding and reshaping human behaviours. That informed our whole approach to the exhibition. Instead of telling people what’s right or wrong, real or fake, Make Believe unpacks some of the psychological and emotional forces that make us susceptible to misinformation – for instance, our cognitive biases, our instincts to conflate beauty with truth or our tendency to trust what aligns with our worldview. 

What role do libraries have to play in the fight against misinformation?

Libraries are essential spaces for inquiry, learning and critical thinking. They champion free access to information but also the tools to assess it. 

Through media literacy programs, research support and access to knowledgeable librarians, libraries play a vital role in helping people navigate today’s relentless flow of information.

That’s an important reason why we’re having this exhibition at the Library: to highlight the ongoing work of librarians and libraries in this space.

How did you select the artists, contributors, and themes? Which came first – did one inform the other?

As with all State Library Victoria exhibitions, we began with the collection, searching for interesting objects and stories related to misinformation. 

From there, we identified artists and subject specialists whose work aligned with these themes. In some cases, we invited artists to respond directly to specific collection items. It became a productive exchange: the collection informed the artists’ research, and their work deepened our understanding of the themes, offering fresh perspectives. 

Can you speak a little about the themes and case studies?

Make Believe presents four case studies, each unpacking a different cause and consequence of misinformation. Three of these feature new works by Melbourne-based artists who have researched the Library’s collection, using art as a tool to challenge misinformation:

• Charlotte Allingham, a Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa artist, has responded to historical advertising materials, showing how the fossil fuel industry has shaped public perceptions through persuasive messaging that downplays harmful truths.
• Scotty So has explored the Library’s photography collection, creating an installation that invites us to question our ability to detect misinformation and examine the link between beauty and truth.
• Sofi Basseghi, in collaboration with actor and performer Salme Geransar and sound composer Ai Yamamoto, has drawn from beautiful 16th-century Persian manuscripts to create a powerful video work. It explores how art and poetry often preserve truths overlooked by ‘official’ histories or silenced by censorship.

The fourth case study turns to science, where misinformation can exist even in seemingly objective fields like anatomy. Featuring rare anatomical textbooks alongside the groundbreaking research of Professor Helen O’Connell, Dr Jennifer Hayes and occupational therapist Anita Brown-Major, it reveals how medical knowledge has been shaped by gender bias, with serious and long-lasting consequences.

What were some of the challenges of putting together the exhibition?

One challenge was narrowing the scope – misinformation is such a vast and fast-moving topic. We wanted to focus on stories that would stay relevant rather than chasing emerging trends, like developments in AI. Another challenge was balancing the tone: we aimed for something thought-provoking, not overwhelming. The process of sourcing collection items also took time and close collaboration with our amazing team of collection experts and subject specialists.

Were there any surprising collection items unearthed through the process of putting together this exhibition?

Yes! One standout is the oldest anatomical textbook in the Library’s collection, compiled by French anatomist Charles Estienne in 1542. It was supposed to be the first fully illustrated treatise on anatomy, but legal issues delayed its release, allowing Andreas Vesalius to publish his work first and consequentially, claim many medical ‘firsts’. 

Estienne’s book is also known for the oddly ‘romantic’ poses in the anatomical illustrations, which have fascinated scholars for centuries. Visitors can see some of these on display in the exhibition along with other key medical texts that trace a long history of misinformation about women's bodies – from the 16th century to now. An interesting, related fact that we discovered in a 2017 review of Australian medical textbooks is that, despite progress, most anatomical imagery still centres male bodies.

What are some of the highlights of the exhibition?

It’s too difficult to choose just one highlight, but the central space featuring a collaborative video work on contemporary misinformation was a really rewarding part of making this exhibition. We loved being able to interview some of our colleagues, including the amazing librarians here, about their opinions on the topic. 

The exhibition design itself is also a highlight. It’s playful and immersive and captures the spirit of Make Believe. Look out for optical illusions and even seating that doubles as visual trickery! 

For those who can’t visit the Library to view the exhibition in person, we’ve made a conscious effort to bring aspects of the exhibition online through the accompanying website, which features imagery, overviews of the case studies and interviews with the artists and contributors. 

What do you hope visitors walk away with, philosophically, after viewing the exhibition?

We hope visitors leave with a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the causes and consequences of misinformation – and with a stronger sense of personal agency. This might be recognising remedies can be as simple as staying curious, acknowledging  our own biases and being open to questioning the stories we’re told, as well as the ones we tell ourselves.

Make Believe isn’t about providing definitive answers. Its purpose is to spark conversation, encourage reflection and even invite a little discomfort – in a constructive way. If visitors leave feeling more informed, more hopeful or inspired to think differently about how we can confront misinformation, then we’ve done our job. 

Make Believe: Encounters with Misinformation is now open and continues until 26 January 2026.

Image credit: Peter Foster