MOD. is Australia’s leading future-focused museum, provoking new ideas at the intersection of science, arts, and innovation to inspire young adults. The BEGINNINGS exhibition was conceived following a Future Themes Forum where young people and a wide range of participants shared their concerns on various issues. Exploring the provocation, How do you initiate action in the present to shape the future?, this exhibition was designed as a response to young people telling us they can see change is necessary, but it is difficult to know where to start.

The exhibition coincides with the launch of newly amalgamated Adelaide University, MOD.’s foundational organisation, and showcases globally significant research aligned with five Signature Research Themes: Defence and National Security; Food, Agriculture and Wine; Personal and Societal Health; Sustainable Green Transition; and Creative and Cultural. Over 80 researchers were involved in the development and are showcased in the exhibition.

Developed collaboratively with young people, researchers, artists, suppliers, and industry, BEGINNINGS foregrounds multiple forms of knowledge including lived experience, scientific research, creative practice and First Nations perspectives.

The exhibition journey is structured around nine futures-thinking capabilities such as Agency, Resilience and Foresight, embedded across immersive gallery experiences, enabling confidence in young people to navigate the future. BEGINNINGS invites dialogue through varied modes of interaction including listening, embodied participation, play, reflection and collective decision-making, resulting in visitors exploring complexity together and using participation as a method for exploring future possibilities.

Visitors actively participate in shaping outcomes, composing in the MiNi sonic studio exhibit, navigating ethical consumption in The Convenient Store, responding to an AI crisis, and contributing to a living energy system in The Beast. BEGINNINGS positions the future as something continuously made through action, empowering audiences to see themselves as agents of change, starting now.

BEGINNINGS is projected to host 90,000 visitors across the exhibition, having already engaged 43,704 visitors to the end of June (exhibition will run until the end of November 2026). This represents a 24% increase on 2025 visitor numbers. Audience response has been highly positive, with a weighted satisfaction of 4.98/6, and 80% of visitors likely to recommend the exhibition.

The project strengthens public engagement with contemporary research, translating complex issues into accessible, participatory experiences. Visitors report meaningful engagement with social, ethical and environmental issues, describing the exhibition as ‘thought provoking in an accessible way, ‘super interactive’, and it ‘changes your thinking’. Further responses highlight increased curiosity, intergenerational dialogue, sustained reflection on consumption, energy, AI and collective responsibility.