End of exhibition:
19. May 2019
In addition to exhibits, a large number of preserved animals are stored in the collections of natural history museums without the public being aware of them. This exhibition project attempts to bring them back to “life”. Normally hidden away in storage cupboards, their beauty astounds us when they are brought out into the light.
With special artistic arrangements, the photo artist Viona Ielegemns succeeds in making the special splendor and magnificence of these specimens visible to the viewer. “Wunderkammer” is an exhibition that lives from photographs. The photographer bases her work on forms of presentation that were typical of 18th century “cabinets of curiosities” or “chambers of art”. The images that have survived from this period are given an artistic reinterpretation.
Animal specimens from the collection archive of the Museum für Naturkunde Magdeburg were used for the entire photo series. A selection of the museum specimens that served as models for the photographs will also be on display in the exhibition.
The “Wunderkammer” concept transcends the boundary between art and natural history. It invites the viewer to see animal specimens from a completely new angle and from an unusual perspective. Visitors can expect magnificent large-format photographs that reflect the overwhelming impressions of natural still lifes.
