BEHIND THE LINES: DESIGNING SATIRE AT OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE
For over a decade, Studio Starr has worked with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra (MoAD) to design Behind the Lines (BTL), an annual exhibition of political cartoons. Each year this collaboration presents a unique opportunity to both interpret the curatorial theme alongside the Cartoonist of the Year, and navigate a complex site marked by spatial constraints, evolving content, and shifting public expectations.
While no two years are the same, three key challenges define the design process year after year.
SPATIAL CONSTRAINT AND HERITAGE COMPLIANCE
The exhibition is housed within the heritage-listed corridors of Old Parliament House, which imposes strict limitations on how the space can be used. There are no penetrations allowed into original surfaces, and lighting, flow, and object placement must all comply with preservation requirements. This limits design interventions and necessitates a system that is modular, reversible, and highly responsive to the architectural conditions of corridors, wall recesses, and split sightlines.
ANNUAL REINVENTION WITHIN A CONSISTENT FRAMEWORK
Each year brings a new curatorial theme and a new Cartoonist of the Year. Blending these two elements, the thematic and the visual, into a cohesive, singular conceptual statement is the recurring design challenge. With no overarching or imposed institutional style guide to direct, each iteration must carry its own inbuilt visual and interpretative logic that expresses a new take on the exhibition as well as being recognisably BTL for those loyal, return audiences. The design must be both familiar and fresh.
WAYFINDING WITHIN A MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SPACE
While the exhibition begins at a clearly designated entry and exit point from the expansive arrival area, visitor flow within the space is not a given. The three main corridors interesect in a U-shape and continue on past each other into other internal and external areas of the building. Keeping visitors within the circuit of the show is achieved through the dual use of the larger, sectional wayfinding markers. These colourful wall sections that contain thematic content as well as illustrative flourishes do their job in creating a series of visual breadcrumbs that lead the audience around the display-utilised thoroughfares. Paired with these are coloured skirtingboards that provide a themed pathway around the space.
Over the years, our design approach for Behind the Lines has evolved, building on each year's unique challenges while remaining anchored in the core principles of accessibility, clarity, and interpretive resonance. What began as a response to a series of specific constraints has become a refined, responsive design system that adapts seamlessly to the dynamic nature of the exhibition.
While no two years are the same, three key challenges define the design process year after year.
SPATIAL CONSTRAINT AND HERITAGE COMPLIANCE
The exhibition is housed within the heritage-listed corridors of Old Parliament House, which imposes strict limitations on how the space can be used. There are no penetrations allowed into original surfaces, and lighting, flow, and object placement must all comply with preservation requirements. This limits design interventions and necessitates a system that is modular, reversible, and highly responsive to the architectural conditions of corridors, wall recesses, and split sightlines.
ANNUAL REINVENTION WITHIN A CONSISTENT FRAMEWORK
Each year brings a new curatorial theme and a new Cartoonist of the Year. Blending these two elements, the thematic and the visual, into a cohesive, singular conceptual statement is the recurring design challenge. With no overarching or imposed institutional style guide to direct, each iteration must carry its own inbuilt visual and interpretative logic that expresses a new take on the exhibition as well as being recognisably BTL for those loyal, return audiences. The design must be both familiar and fresh.
WAYFINDING WITHIN A MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SPACE
While the exhibition begins at a clearly designated entry and exit point from the expansive arrival area, visitor flow within the space is not a given. The three main corridors interesect in a U-shape and continue on past each other into other internal and external areas of the building. Keeping visitors within the circuit of the show is achieved through the dual use of the larger, sectional wayfinding markers. These colourful wall sections that contain thematic content as well as illustrative flourishes do their job in creating a series of visual breadcrumbs that lead the audience around the display-utilised thoroughfares. Paired with these are coloured skirtingboards that provide a themed pathway around the space.
Over the years, our design approach for Behind the Lines has evolved, building on each year's unique challenges while remaining anchored in the core principles of accessibility, clarity, and interpretive resonance. What began as a response to a series of specific constraints has become a refined, responsive design system that adapts seamlessly to the dynamic nature of the exhibition.
