Justine van Mourik is the Deputy Director, Engagement at the South Australian Museum, Adelaide, and is responsible for providing a world class visitor experience through engaging exhibitions and programming for one of Australia’s oldest natural history museums. Justine is passionate about the use of XR technologies to enhance science communication and to create sustainable low carbon footprint models for international exhibition touring. In 2021, she programmed the world premiere of Thin Ice VR at the SA Museum and in 2022, the Museum hosted the Electric Dreams festival in partnership with the Adelaide Fringe and Crossover Labs.
Before joining the Museum in 2020, she was the Director of the Parliament House Art Collection, Australian Parliament House in Canberra, prior to that she managed registration and temporary exhibition projects at the National Library of Australia for 8 years delivering international blockbuster exhibitions and the award-winning permanent Treasures Gallery. From 2000 to 2005 was Director of the Riddoch Art Gallery, Mount Gambier and over the course of her career she has worked for the History Trust of South Australia, the Art Gallery of South Australia and Country Arts SA in various programming, curatorial and visual arts touring roles. She has been a guest lecturer at the Australian National University and the University of Adelaide on a range of topics including visitor experience, artwork commissioning and museum studies. A graduate of Flinders University, she also holds a Master of Arts from Griffith University and a Diploma in Law & Collection Management from the Institute of Art & Law in the United Kingdom. She likes Muppets and Lego.