Developed 1994-1996 and updated 1998-2001, open 1996-2009 and ongoing
The Chemical attractions exhibition is intended to make people aware of how chemistry is part of their everyday lives and to bring meaning to a range of chemical concepts. Jesse conceived this exhibition and led the Powerhouse Museum team which developed this highly interactive long-term multiple-media display.replica watches The numerous interactive displays are easy and inexpensive to maintain. They use no toxic consumables and produce little waste. Jesse worked with the major sponsor, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, NSW, to brainstorm a variety of potential topics for the exhibition and maintained an active relationship with them to update the exhibition. Jesse helped obtain the sponsors for the exhibition.
Image reproduced courtesy of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Photo:
Marinco Kojdanovski
The bubbling distillation column sculpture at the entrance of Chemical attractions captures the attention of passing visitors who try to figure out how it works.
Image reproduced courtesy of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Photo: Marinco Kojdanovski
One of the most popular interactive exhibits of Chemical attractions is the fireworks interactive. This exhibit enables visitors to design and mix their own virtual pyrotechnic, watch it being made and then lit to see if they made a bang or a fizz. The display combines sectioned examples of fireworks, a bench of chemicals used in fireworks, an information monitor, selection controls and a projection screen. The interactive helps communicate the chemistry of colour to a wide range of visitors.
Image reproduced courtesy of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Photo: Marinco Kojdanovski
This showcase in Chemical attractions presents a brief history of chocolate and alludes to its complex chemistry. Nearby is the Powerhouse Museum’s most popular interactive exhibit. The chocolate interactive gives out four different flavours of chocolate chips but only after the visitor listens to two minutes of information about how each flavour is made. Jesse choose the chemistry of chocolate, the world’s most popular flavour, as one of the five topics of the exhibition to help achieve the exhibition’s objective of making people aware of how chemistry is part of their everyday lives.
