a new Museum of Biodiversity

Affiliations was in the spotlight this week as Dr. George Angehr, Curator of Exhibitions at our Affiliate, the Museum of Biodiversity in Panama, lectured to about 50 Smithsonian staff about this exciting project. 

  Dr. Angehr is also a research associate at the Smithsonian’s Tropical Research Institute in Panama, a major collaborator on content with the new museum.  Some of the hottest names in design will realize the project – Frank O. Gehry is designing the building, and Bruce Mau is creating the exhibitions.

As to the Museum’s plan (which is in the shape of Panama by the way), an exhibition strategy that struck me as particularly interesting was the elimination of the “middle scale.”  That is, the Museum plans to commission artists to create a “device of wonder” for every gallery – a large installation that abstracts and represents a scientific concept theme aesthetically, while attracting visitors by its scale.  If that doesn’t sound interesting enough!, the rest of the gallery features will then be intimate and interactive, on a personal scale.

The whole project sounds absolutely fascinating – the design, the partners, the content and the context of Panama itself!  And how proud are we that they are a Smithsonian Affiliate?!