Destroy the Craniometer:
An Interactive Experience for the Powerhouse Museum

The Powerhouse Museum's digitised collection showcases a vast array of historical and contemporary objects, each with rich contextual significance. However, the static display of these objects often limits the audience's ability to engage meaningfully with them. The craniometer, an instrument initially developed and used by Franz Joseph Gall, a practitioner of phrenology, is no exception.

Phrenology, a now-debunked pseudo-science, involved mapping and interpreting the contours of the human skull to link skull shape with physiological characteristics. This approach was subsequently employed to categorise humans by race, sex, and class, emphasising supposed inferiorities.

Destroy the Craniometer is an interactive experience that encourages users to dismantle Gall's erroneous theories. As participants move their head, spinning and tilting it, components of the virtual craniometer disintegrate, and phrenological texts fade away. Eventually, the entire object vanishes from view. This immersive experience exposes the fallacious nature of phrenology by allowing users to engage with a virtual craniometer actively and explore its origins and flaws.

Experience Design