Scienceworks is about to get a whole lot brighter. Opening Saturday 21 March 2026, Colour is a playful, mind bending exhibition developed by Questacon in Canberra that dives into the science behind how we see and experience the world.
Featuring 21 hands on experiences, Colour invites visitors to experiment rather than just observe. You can play with coloured bubbles, step into optical illusions, examine iridescent insects and unpack how light creates the shades we often take for granted. It’s equal parts physics lesson and sensory playground.
The exhibition unfolds across four themes, from the origins of coloured light to how hues are added, removed and transformed. It explores how we interpret colour and compares how humans, animals and even machines see the same scene differently. Along the way, you’ll encounter concepts like wavelength, fluorescence and polarisation, plus the eye twisting effects of refraction, diffraction and scattering.
Lynley Crosswell, CEO and Director of Museums Victoria, said: ‘Colour takes visitors beyond the world we see every day, revealing that there is far more to colour than meets the eye. From pigments found in plants to colours shaped by geology and technology, this exhibition transforms something familiar into a wonderland of discovery.’
The exhibition also marks the first supported by Swinburne University of Technology under a new three year learning partnership with Museums Victoria.
Professor Pascale Quester AO, Swinburne University of Technology Vice-Chancellor, said: ‘Colour is a perfect example of how Swinburne and Museums Victoria are coming together to bring research, education and ideas to our community, inspiring a love of learning through interactive, real-life experiences.’
Colour opens at Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood and runs until 26 January 2027.
