THE State Government is starting to resemble a psychologically troubled consumer. Plagued by self-doubt, every so often it launches itself into a shopping spree, hoping to bury its lack of confidence and feelings of inferiority beneath a welter of pointless purchases.

WHAT will our society be remembered for in 80 million years? That was the question Sydney creative collective the Glue Society asked itself when it set about making an exhibit for this year's Miami Art Basel. The answer: a false eyelash preserved in amber.

Less than a decade after its opening, the National Museum in Canberra has had a revamp, dumping its "in your face" opening exhibit for one that embraces a more traditional narrative of history as story-telling.

Past and present come face to face in a stunning new exhibit. By Anne Fawcett

BRIGADIER Chris Roberts felt a chill go through his body when he saw a new exhibit at the War Memorial in Canberra.