"Our collections belong to you too": An analysis of the exhibition "Objects of Wonder" from the National Museum of Natural History
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2448-1750.revmae.2022.188397Keywords:
Objects of Wonder;, Exhibition;, National Museum of Natural History;, Museum CommunicationAbstract
Who is the museum made for? This question can cause great debates within civil society, but how do museums approach this matter? The museum was created to be visited, to communicate with the public, and to be a place where there is an exchange of experiences. The museum must not only research and preserve, but also communicate such knowledge. Research carried out in a museum contributes to the development of human knowledge, but what is the real reach of this knowledge? Would he remain contained within the walls of the museum and the Academy? It is with this reach in mind that we place the exhibition “Objects of Wonder” from the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. Opened for visitation in 2017, this exhibition aims to show the visitor the origin and uses of objects that are part of the collections under the museum's care. Through thematic showcases, the exhibition introduces the visitor to the different departments of the museum and how knowledge is generated from these collections. This article analyzes this exhibition, from its structure to discourse, with special emphasis on the communicational function of museums.
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