Books, history, art, and conversation have converged in Revolution & Silence, an exhibition by Tasmanian artist Brigita Ozolins, presented as part of this year’s Dark Mofo festival.

Hosted at the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, the exhibition showcases books that have been banned or challenged throughout history. At its core is a reflection on censorship and resistance, framed through the lens of George Orwell’s 1984. Ozolins uses the novel as a reference point to explore threats to free speech – ranging from authoritarian control to the more nebulous forces of misinformation, artificial intelligence, and social media.

Welcome to Sex on display at Revolution & Silence.

Among the featured texts is The Diary of a Young Girl (commonly known as The Diary of Anne Frank), displayed in a quiet room at the back of the museum. A single copy rests in a display case, accompanied by a speaker playing excerpts from the diary, narrated by a female voice. The effect is haunting and intimate.

Another notable inclusion is Welcome to Sex by Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes, first published in Australia in 2023. Intended to address gaps in traditional sex education, the book openly discusses topics such as pleasure, masturbation, orgasms, abortion, contraception, and gender identity.

This candid approach sparked controversy. Critics, especially from conservative circles, called for the book to be banned because of its illustrations, how it talks about non-procreative sex, and its discussion of gender identity. The book was pulled from at least one Australian retailer’s shelves, but it remains available for purchase online.

Dark Mofo concluded on 15 June, but Revolution & Silence will continue at the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts until 5 October.

Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania and lived in Western Sydney from 2022 to 2024 while working as a journalist for Professional Planner, a leading online publication for financial planners. He has written for Tasmanian Times since 2018 and has also been published in a range of other outlets, including Quadrant and the BAD Western Sydney anthologies.

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