French Empress, Joséphine Bonaparte may be little-known, but her legacy is a profound contribution to the Australian and French cultural connection is the focus of the WA Maritime Museum’s latest digitally immersive exhibition, Empress Joséphine's Garden. 

Empress Joséphine's Garden is a 360-degree digital experience bringing to life the impact Joséphine had on France, and her influence on botanical science, and global culture.  

Although remembered as the Empress of France and wife of Napolean Bonaparte, Joséphine was much more than her imperial title. A key figure in the artistic rebirth of post-revolutionary France, she was also a respected botanical enthusiast who collected plants from around the globe, including the great southern continent of New Holland (now known as Australia). 

Through vivid storytelling, rich visuals, expert narration, and an emotive soundscape crafted by Australian musicians, this innovative exhibition was commissioned by the Western Australian Museum (WA Museum) and curated and developed by AGB Creative, Sydney.

The exhibition tells the captivating story of the first Empress of France, Joséphine Bonaparte and the connection between French maritime exploration, Western Australia and the spectacular garden Joséphine created at her home, Château de Malmaison in Paris.

With the Age of Enlightenment as its backdrop, visitors are surrounded by spectacular imagery of Joséphine’s remarkable garden in Château de Malmaison, filled with unique flora and fauna from around the globe, including black swans, kangaroos, and hundreds of exotic plants from Western Australia.
 

Malmaison became the epicentre of an enlightened world, where politicians, academics and socialites would be immersed within a living museum, surrounded by antipodean treasures and botanical specimens never seen on French soil. 
 

The story of Joséphine Bonaparte’s legacy and contribution to the Australian and French cultural connection delivered through this contemporary medium will appeal to a wide range of visitors, including families, history buffs, and digital arts enthusiasts – and is another example of how the WA Museum has been leading digital immersive storytelling since 2018 and supporting the future of the screen industry in WA.