English version by Diana Taborda
The Science Museum of the University of Coimbra has opened the doors of the new “Cabinet of Curiosities – An Interpretation”, a room that gathers around four thousand specimens and artifacts from the collection of the UC Science Museum, with the purpose of recreating the feeling that one might feel when entering an 18th century Cabinet of Curiosities.
The Cabinets of Curiosities appeared from the 17th century onwards and were mainly created by the European nobility, who tried to gather in these rooms a set of objects, such as exotic pieces, in an attempt to recreate the work of God. The aim of these cabinets was to display rare, exotic and even bizarre objects, so as to amaze the visitor and simultaneously show the cosmopolitan vision of their owner.
A cow skeleton and a crocodile hanging from the ceiling, a sloth from Brazil, a "monster" (a donkey with 6 legs) or some minerals, are just a few examples of pieces on display in the "Cabinet of Curiosities - An Interpretation".
English version by Diana Taborda
For Amílcar Falcão, Rector of the University of Coimbra, "the creation of this space is part of the strategy of the University of Coimbra, which aims to create new and innovative exhibitions in the museum and to make the most of the vast and rich heritage of the UC, which is unique in the country, with extraordinary pieces collected from all parts of the world over the last 700 years".
The director of the UC Science Museum, Paulo Trincão, says: "What we want to do in this space, which opened today, is not a historical reconstruction of a cabinet that actually existed. What we want to do is to recreate the feeling of being inside one; to make it possible, in the 21st century, for people to experience the almost magical atmosphere that existed in the cabinets of the 17th and 18th centuries, which are very rare in the world today".
It took almost three years of work to recreate this almost magical atmosphere, involving a team of 10 people and an investment of around 250,000 euros, sponsored by Fundación La Caixa.
The items in this cabinet, which represent less than 1% of the UC's collections, are not displayed in a logical order, as in a museum. "The items are displayed in a way that calls for discovery. There are no labels, no captions, not even a logical route. We want people who visit this room to find the pieces that fascinate them most, and then to feel like exploring more of what they have seen, willing to explore the magnificent collection of the Science Museum," adds Paulo Trincão. "The only guide in this exhibition is the lighting chosen, which ends up leading the visitor through the five levels of content via a simple light sequence," he concludes.
The "Cabinet of Curiosities - An Interpretation" is open to the public as of the 19th of May, and the visit is included in the global ticket for visitors of the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra.