A new exhibition at Questacon aims to transport visitors to the Northern Territory’s top end, offering a unique perspective on one of Australia’s most interesting ecosystems—mangroves.

Mangroves – Tales from the Tide opened last week and combines art, science and storytelling to highlight the ecological importance, cultural significance and intricate beauty of these coastal forests.

Questacon Director Jo White said the exhibition offers visitors a chance to see mangroves from multiple perspectives.

“It’s through this exhibition we’re transported to the Northern Territory’s top end, and we get a unique insight into the beauty of mangroves and the important and vital role they play to the environment,” she said.

The exhibition features a large screen with an 11-minute looped video displaying drone footage and time-lapse videos of the mangroves, while there are also intricate textile artworks on display.

The artwork on display includes handcrafted denim quilts by Darwin-based artist Jasmine Jan. The quilts, adorned with needle-felted creatures and hand-drawn mangrove flora and fauna, wrap around a pole installation, representing the ever-changing nature of mangrove forests.

“The inspiration is mangroves and the plants and animals you find in mangrove forests,” Jan said. “Because I’ve lived in Darwin all my life, the mangroves have been a big part of the environment I’ve grown up in and worked in as well.”

Jan is hoping people come away from the exhibition with a better understanding of the beauty and diversity of mangroves, rather than merely thinking they are merely muddy, mosquito-filled forests.

“Mangroves are just a really beautiful environment that changes with the tide,” Jan said. “At high tide, you’ll see sharks, fish, jellyfish, and turtles. At low tide, it’s full of crustaceans and other creatures we’ve depicted in the artwork. It doesn’t matter when you go there—you’ll always see something amazing.”

The exhibition also incorporates First Nations perspectives, with Djambarrpuyngu woman Rachel Dikuḻ Baker sharing stories about mangrove bushtucker and the cultural significance of these landscapes.

“We’ve got a beautiful introduction to some of the amazing foods that are essential to taking from the mangroves,” Jo said. “And these beautiful Ottomans from a First Nations artist connect us to the environment of mangroves.”

Mangroves – Tales from the Tide is open until November 2025 and is included in Questacon’s general admission.