From the early days of the Tinkering Studio at the Exploratorium, the space always featured some sort of cabinet of curiosity which served as a demonstration of the wide walls of tinkering activities. These exhibitions often feature a mashup of participant made projects, in-progress prototypes, behind the scenes artifacts and artist creations. These displays were inspired by some of the earliest museums, collections of treasures and oddities collected and displayed by eccentric aristocrats, curators and scholars. Recently I had the chance to visit two curiosity cabinet style museums and I wanted to share a couple impressions and inspirations.

First off I finally made it to the Zinnfigurenklause (tin figure lodge) here in Freiburg. While not a traditional cabinet of curiosity, there were many elements in common starting with the fact that the amazing collection of handcrafted figures is hidden in a historical tower. The delightful setting immediately inspires a sense of magic and wonder.

In the cabinets there are “10,000 tiny tin figures, meticulously cast and painted by a group of dedicated Freiburg residents. They stand, lie, and sit in the handcrafted scenery and, as the main characters in the 21 dioramas (display cases), tell stories from different eras that took place in Baden and the surrounding area.” I love the analog work that goes into these types of creations and the community spirit that is necessary to put something like this together piece by piece. It reminded me a bit of the toothpick sculpture of Scott Weaver that impresses with the sheer amount of detailed work needed to put it all together. Many of these kinds of spaces go unnoticed by the maker or STEAM communities but I always like to keep my eye out for hidden treasures.

The second space that I visited was a much more traditional cabinet of curiosity in Bologna, Italy. What is now the Collezione di Zoologia and Collezione di Antropologia were made from the “collection of the 16th century of naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi and finds of Cospi and Marsili, gathered during the 18th century in the Institute of Sciences.”

These free museums are wonderfully wild and unkempt and are stuffed with unusual specimens that ignite curiosity. There’s something about the sheer number of taxidermied animals, skeletons and pickled odds and ends that speaks to the variety of possibilities.

I appreciated as well that upstairs the collection behind glass was accompanied by a long bench across the whole side of the room with bones, teeth and fur to touch and hold. Having some tactile elements made the whole space more engaging.

Some of the lessons that I think we can take from these spaces are that they authentically reflect the interests of the curators. In tinkering spaces the cabinet of curiosities should be personally meaningful to the people who work and learn in the space. Next I think that the collection should be purposefully large and slightly unkempt. There should be weird overlaps and unexpected transitions. This allows the viewers to make their own connections and demonstrates the wide walls of tinkering experiences. And finally I think the larger physical environment matters a lot and these exhibitions work best when they are in atmospheres that are a bit mysterious and reflect the time and space needed to put together the collections of artifacts.

What are your favorite cabinet of curiosity style exhibitions that you have visited? Please share so we can add to the list of inspirations.

Cabinets of Curiosities in Freiburg and Bologna