MELBOURNE.- Tyama (Cha-Muh) is an exciting new exhibition, developed by Museums Victoria exclusively for Melbourne Museum. This multisensory digital experience takes visitors on a journey across Victoria’s nocturnal landscapes through the eyes of creatures we share Country with.

A museum exhibition that breaks the mould, Tyama positions both objects and visitors as protagonists inside various story worlds informed by First People’s knowledge and Museum Victoria’s collections.

The word Tyama is the Keerray Woorroong language word meaning ‘to know’. It is about knowing, not just with our minds but with our whole body and all our senses. It recognises that knowledge is precious, it is earned through deep engagement with the world around us.

A unique museum exhibition that utilises technology at a scale that is unparalleled, Tyama presents interactive worlds that respond to movement and sounds, providing visitors the opportunity to play an active part in shaping their own experience.

With floor to ceiling responsive projections and cinematic soundscapes, visitors will be physically and emotionally immersed in Victoria’s landscapes and experience the beauty of nature on a grand scale.

Merging cutting edge technology with wondrous objects from Museums Victoria’s collections to bring to the natural world to life, visitors will wander through extraordinary multisensory digital environments. The exhibition features some of the largest screens in Victoria with 47 projectors and 80 speakers to immerse visitors in worlds usually imperceptible to humans.

In Tyama, take flight at sunset and experience the breathtaking colour and beauty of the world through the eyes of moths, travel through caves lit up by your own echolocation, tour the ocean shallows as fish follow behind you, explore haunting kelp forests, swim with whales and stand in the presence of epic Songlines that connect us all.

In waking up to the stories of the natural world, we wake up to our own. We honour our own senses so we can truly find Tyama, a deeper knowledge of our place in nature. 

“Informed by First People’s knowledge, Tyama is a multisensory experience of nature that reimagines what a museum exhibition can be, using new perspectives to deepen our connection to the natural world,” said Museums Victoria Director & CEO Lynley Crosswell.

Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos MP said, “This stunning exhibition is a profound way for Victorians to gain a deeper understanding of First Peoples knowledge and connection to nature, while exploring their own connection to the natural world.

“From Ancient Greece to ancient dinosaurs, Melbourne is home to some of the most extraordinary museum experiences in the world and Tyama will add another exciting exhibition to Victoria’s must-see attractions.”

Developed in collaboration with Keerray Woorroong citizens Yoolongteeyt Dr Vicki Couzens and Yaraan Bundle, the experience is guided by First Peoples practices of embodied learning and respect for nature.

Yoolongteeyt Dr Vicki Couzens said, “Tyama will re-awaken our senses and remind us that every animal has something to teach us and a story to tell through Indigenous ways of Being, Knowing and Doing. Through this experience we are encouraging visitors to care for Country.

"We hope people are inspired to know that every rock, insect, plant, and person has a place of belonging in nature. Being a part of Country is being a part of one big family and we all have a responsibility to care for our family – our Countries.”

The recently announced Saturday Sessions will kick off at Melbourne Museum from Saturday 30 July; doors will stay open until 9.00pm one Saturday each month so visitors can experience the best of the museum after dark. Explore Tyama: A deeper sense of knowing along with the rest of Melbourne Museum’s extraordinary collections and exhibitions, enjoy DJ sets, pop-up bar, curator talks, performances and more.

Tyama is now open. Tickets should be prebooked as entry to the exhibition is timed.