Waves of Connection
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM
Movement is Convenient is a mini exhibition at the Vaughan Evans Library in the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney. Showcasing a rare collection of vintage Japanese shipping postcards from the Nippon Yusen Kaisha line, the display offers a window into Japan’s maritime history from the Meiji Restoration to the postwar era.
Goldi created a subtle yet evocative exhibition design that draws on vintage textures, repeated framing motifs and postage marks, echoing both waves and travel.
The design invites knowledge-seekers, artists, and maritime enthusiasts to reflect on cultural connection and the enduring power of small artefacts to tell big stories.
Beyond the exhibition panels, Goldi extended the design identity into the wider museum environment. Stair riser graphics were developed to guide visitors toward the Vaughan Evans Library, using the exhibition’s framing motifs and textures to build visual continuity from circulation spaces to the display itself.
A promotional postcard was also produced, featuring one of the original Japanese postcards on the front and exhibition details on the reverse, serving as both an advertisement and a memento of the exhibition.
“We all agree that the design did a wonderful job of echoing and respecting the subject matter – early twentieth-century Japanese postcards – while establishing its own unique look. What particularly impressed us was the way that the light in the space was used to best advantage. Since the panels were all mounted on windows, backlighting could have impeded viewing and reading the content. Instead, through clever design and material specifications, the light filters through and actually enhances the viewing experience, without darkening the space. It’s very impressive.”
Dr Peter Hobbins, Head of Knowledge
Australian National Martime Museum
SCOPE
Exhibition Identity, exhibition design and marketing
CLIENT
Australian National Maritime Museum
WEBSITE
https://www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/exhibitions/japanese-maritime-postcards
Photos courtesy of Australian National Maritime Museum. Photographed by Jasmine Poole.
きかは便動 Movement is convenient
What happened when Japanese art met western steamships? A series of beautiful postcards that combined traditional design with photographs of innovative technology. Showcased in the museum’s Vaughan Evans Library, this display features a selection of postcards from the early twentieth century, issued by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha. NYK was a major Japanese shipping line whose vessels regularly visited Australia. But what messages did their postcards convey, and how were they received in the era of the White Australia Policy? This display also considers the impact of war on Japanese shipping, including the tragic sinking of SS Montevideo Maru in 1942 with over 1000 Allied prisoners aboard.
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