To diorama or not to diorama? The representation of nature at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels.

A review of the ‘Living Planet‘ hall, at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels, visited in January 2021. In September 2020, The Museum of Natural Sciences announced a new permanent exhibition called ‘Living Planet’. This addition even made the news. The museum is very proud of it. Unfortunately, all I saw was a terribly …

Fiction dioramas: a rant on an Efteling theme park dark ride

This text was first published in April 2019 on my portfolio site. It takes a closer, critical look at one of the ‘magical’ animatronic dioramas of Dutch theme park Efteling.

Hark! The clock of Notre Dame strikes!

London, Vol 6, edited by Charles Knight, 1844. CXLIII: Exhibitions of Art by J. Saunders. p283 – 285. Excerpt. The eye witness account of J. Saunders. (…) let us pay our two shillings in the vestibule of the exhibition, ascend the stairs, and submit ourselves to the guidance of the attendant waiting to receive and …

Himalaya at Dawn

Powell Cotton Museum | Quex House & Gardens | Birchington, UK | quexmuseum.org | Visited June 2019 | Himalaya at dawn (constructed in 1905) is considered to be ‘the oldest untouched diorama of its type in any museum around the world’ (1: PC Museum Souvenir Guide, page 6) All animals on display were collected by …

On screens as dioramas as screens

Note: this is a repost of an April 2019 entry on my portfolio website. Illusions behind glass The screen has become omnipresent in our lives: starting with TVs entering our homes, then computer monitors, smartphones, tablets, VR sets. We’re all looking through glass walls at illusions. The illusion is not confined to films, tv programs, …