The AMNH Exhibitions Lab or AMNH Department of Exhibition is an interdisciplinary art and research team at the American Museum of Natural History that designs and produces museum installations, computer programs and film. Founded in 1869, the lab has since produced thousands of installations, many of which have become celebrated works. The department is notable for its integration of new scientific research into immersive art and multimedia presentations. In addition to the famous dioramas at its home museum and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, the lab has also produced international exhibitions and software such as the revolutionary Digital Universe Atlas.[1]
The Exhibition Department's headquarters is located on approximately 80th Street in Manhattan.The "wall of life" is a three-dimensional cladogram consisting of over five hundred life-sized models.A forced perspective diorama in the Hall of Asian Peoples made by George F. Campbell M.R.I.N.A.
The exhibitions team currently consists of over sixty artists, writers, preparators, designers and programmers. The department is responsible for the creation of two to three exhibits per year, making the AMNH one of the most extensive exhibition creators in the world. These extensive shows typically travel nationally to sister natural history museums. Due to the strong relationship between the lab and the museum's extensive research and curation wing, the department has been among the first to introduce brand new topics to the public. They have produced, among others, the first exhibits to discuss Darwinian evolution,[2]human-induced climate change[3] and the Mesozoic mass extinction via asteroid.
Dioramasedit
The AMNH dioramas have themselves become major historic attractions, and possibly the best known works of the exhibitions lab. Notable among them is the Akeley Hall of African Mammals which opened in 1936, at a time before widespread color photography.[4] The hall showcases the vanishing wildlife of Africa in spaces where the human presence is notably absent, and includes hyperrealistic depictions of elephants, hippopotamuses, lions, gorillas, zebras, and various species of antelope, including the rarely seen aquatic sitatunga.[5] Some of the displays are up to 18 feet (5 m) in height and 23 feet (7 m) in depth.
With the 1942 opening of the Hall of North American Mammals, diorama art reached a pinnacle. It took more than a decade to create the scenes depicted in the hall which includes a 432 square foot (40 m²) diorama of the American bison. The department recently redesigned the hall in order to revitalize the artistic influences of the present.[6]
Today, although the art of diorama has ceased to be a major exhibition technique, dramatic examples of this art form are still occasionally employed. In 1997 museum artists and scientists traveled to the Central African Republic to collect samples and photographs for the construction of a 3,000 square foot (300 m2) recreation of a tropical West African rainforest, the Dzanga-Sangha rain forest diorama in the Hall of Biodiversity.[7]
Other notable dioramas, some dating back to the 1930s have been restored in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The hall is a 29,000 square foot (2,700 m²) bi-level room that includes a delicately mounted 94 foot (29 m) long model of a Blue Whale swimming beneath and around video projection screens and interactive computer stations. Among the hall's notable dioramas is the "sperm whale and giant squid", which represents a true melding of art and science since an actual encounter between these two giant creatures at over one half mile depth has never been witnessed. Another celebrated diorama in the hall represents the "Andros coral reef" in the Bahamas, a two-story-high diorama that features the land form of the Bahamas and the many inhabitants of the coral reef found beneath the water's surface.
Notable showsedit
The 2003 mammal revitalization project reconstructed the colobus monkey diorama.The Akeley Hall of African Mammals showcases the museum's famed taxidermy.The museum's iconic blue whale was completed by the lab in 2003.Akeley's Mountain Gorilla Diorama is especially lauded for its realism.
The following is a partial list of the shows produced by the department.[8]
2001 – "Pearls", "Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion", "The Genomic Revolution"
2000 – "Fighting Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries", "Vikings: The North Atlantic"
1999 – "Epidemic: The World of Infectious Disease", "The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition"
Referencesedit
^. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
^Osborn, Henry Fairfield (1921-04-21). "The Hall of the Age of Man in the American Museum". Nature. 107 (2686): 236–240. Bibcode:1921Natur.107..236O. doi:10.1038/107236a0.
^"In the Hall of Biodiversity". New York Times. 1 June 1998. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
^. Archived from the original on 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
^. Archived from the original on 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
^Mason, Betsy (27 September 2012). "Taxidermists, Artists Bring Aging Museum Animals Back to Lifelike". Wired. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
^. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
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The AMNH Exhibitions Lab or AMNH Department of Exhibition is an interdisciplinary art and research team at the American Museum of Natural History that designs and produces museum installations computer programs and film Founded in 1869 the lab has since produced thousands of installations many of which have become celebrated works The department is notable for its integration of new scientific research into immersive art and multimedia presentations In addition to the famous dioramas at its home museum and the Rose Center for Earth and Space the lab has also produced international exhibitions and software such as the revolutionary Digital Universe Atlas 1 The Exhibition Department s headquarters is located on approximately 80th Street in Manhattan The wall of life is a three dimensional cladogram consisting of over five hundred life sized models A forced perspective diorama in the Hall of Asian Peoples made by George F Campbell M R I N A The exhibitions team currently consists of over sixty artists writers preparators designers and programmers The department is responsible for the creation of two to three exhibits per year making the AMNH one of the most extensive exhibition creators in the world These extensive shows typically travel nationally to sister natural history museums Due to the strong relationship between the lab and the museum s extensive research and curation wing the department has been among the first to introduce brand new topics to the public They have produced among others the first exhibits to discuss Darwinian evolution 2 human induced climate change 3 and the Mesozoic mass extinction via asteroid Dioramas editThe AMNH dioramas have themselves become major historic attractions and possibly the best known works of the exhibitions lab Notable among them is the Akeley Hall of African Mammals which opened in 1936 at a time before widespread color photography 4 The hall showcases the vanishing wildlife of Africa in spaces where the human presence is notably absent and includes hyperrealistic depictions of elephants hippopotamuses lions gorillas zebras and various species of antelope including the rarely seen aquatic sitatunga 5 Some of the displays are up to 18 feet 5 m in height and 23 feet 7 m in depth With the 1942 opening of the Hall of North American Mammals diorama art reached a pinnacle It took more than a decade to create the scenes depicted in the hall which includes a 432 square foot 40 m diorama of the American bison The department recently redesigned the hall in order to revitalize the artistic influences of the present 6 Today although the art of diorama has ceased to be a major exhibition technique dramatic examples of this art form are still occasionally employed In 1997 museum artists and scientists traveled to the Central African Republic to collect samples and photographs for the construction of a 3 000 square foot 300 m2 recreation of a tropical West African rainforest the Dzanga Sangha rain forest diorama in the Hall of Biodiversity 7 Other notable dioramas some dating back to the 1930s have been restored in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life The hall is a 29 000 square foot 2 700 m bi level room that includes a delicately mounted 94 foot 29 m long model of a Blue Whale swimming beneath and around video projection screens and interactive computer stations Among the hall s notable dioramas is the sperm whale and giant squid which represents a true melding of art and science since an actual encounter between these two giant creatures at over one half mile depth has never been witnessed Another celebrated diorama in the hall represents the Andros coral reef in the Bahamas a two story high diorama that features the land form of the Bahamas and the many inhabitants of the coral reef found beneath the water s surface Notable shows edit nbsp The 2003 mammal revitalization project reconstructed the colobus monkey diorama nbsp The Akeley Hall of African Mammals showcases the museum s famed taxidermy nbsp The museum s iconic blue whale was completed by the lab in 2003 nbsp Akeley s Mountain Gorilla Diorama is especially lauded for its realism The following is a partial list of the shows produced by the department 8 2013 The Power of Poison 2012 The Global Kitchen Creatures of Light Nature s Bioluminescence 2011 Beyond Planet Earth The Future of Space Travel The World s Largest Dinosaurs 2010 Brain The Inside Story Extreme Mammals Race to the End of the Earth 2009 Traveling the Silk Road Horse 2008 Climate Change The Threat to Life and a New Energy Future Mythic Creatures 2007 Water H2O Life Lizards and Snakes Alive 2006 Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins Redesign 2005 Darwin Dinosaurs Ancient Fossils New Discoveries 2004 Totems to Turquoise Petra Exploratorium AMNH designed with Exploratorium San Francisco 2003 Chocolate designed with the Field Museum Chicago Vietnam Journeys of Body Mind and Spirit The First Europeans Treasures from the Hills of Atapuerca Milstein Hall of Ocean Life Redesign 2002 Baseball as America Einstein 2001 Pearls Meeting God Elements of Hindu Devotion The Genomic Revolution 2000 Fighting Dinosaurs Ancient Fossils New Discoveries Vikings The North Atlantic 1999 Epidemic The World of Infectious Disease The Endurance Shackleton s Legendary Antarctic Expedition References edit AMNH Education Exhibition Archived from the original on 26 August 2012 Retrieved 4 June 2013 Osborn Henry Fairfield 1921 04 21 The Hall of the Age of Man in the American Museum Nature 107 2686 236 240 Bibcode 1921Natur 107 236O doi 10 1038 107236a0 In the Hall of Biodiversity New York Times 1 June 1998 Retrieved 4 June 2013 Timeline The History of the American Museum of Natural History Archived from the original on 2009 03 10 Retrieved 2009 04 16 Upper Nile Region Diorama Archived from the original on 2009 03 10 Retrieved 2009 04 16 Mason Betsy 27 September 2012 Taxidermists Artists Bring Aging Museum Animals Back to Lifelike Wired Retrieved 4 June 2013 Hall of Biodiversity Archived from the original on April 3 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 18 Past Exhibitions AMNH Retrieved 4 June 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title AMNH Exhibitions Lab amp oldid 1219778269, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
