Bead Snake, 1919. Acc. No. 1998/2. Newcastle Museum collection.

Museums use objects to tell stories. It sounds simple but it’s complicated. Objects can tell multiple stories from many points of view. So, who chooses the story? Which story is the truth? In museums, curators choose an interpretation but 1X4 turns this upside down. Each object in this exhibition tells four distinct stories. You can listen to or read each of the four stories, or some, or none and just enjoy the beauty of the objects. Every story is the truth about the object and is a valid way to view the object, but they are all different.

1X4 is an innovative, collection-rich, social history exhibition exploring the multiplicity of narratives each object can tell, drawn from Newcastle Museum’s collections. It is supplemented with four objects from Hurstville Museum & Gallery’s collection.

This is a travelling exhibition developed by Newcastle Museum, rather than labels on a wall, the secrets of 1X4 are revealed via your mobile phone or tablet by visiting 1×4.com.au. If you would like to delve deeper, pack your headphone for an audio tour.