The Metro Tunnel Creative Program partnered with State Library Victoria and Melbourne Design Week to present Artefacts by Michael Beets, which included a unique virtual reality (VR) experience and a VR masterclass.
More than a million items were found during excavation works for the Metro Tunnel Project. Dating back more than 180 years to the early days of European settlement, it is one of the largest archaeological digs in Victorian history. The artefacts include teeth, coffee beans, chalk boards and more.
Through Artefacts, people were transported to 19th-Century Melbourne to learn about the environmental, ecological, and social context each artefact originates from.
Melbourne Design Week and the Victoria Design Program are initiatives of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. This event was part of Melbourne Design Week 2024, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.