Astonishment
The Wunderkammer rekindles the tradition of the Kunst- and Wunderkammer of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It imparts an insight into the world view and the standard of knowledge of past centuries and does just what a Wunderkammer was able to do between 200 and 500 years ago: transport the visitor into a realm of sheer astonishment — whether by means of the legendary unicorn, exposed latterly by the cognoscenti as the tusk of a narwhal, an amber mirror flooded with light, or cabinets that only reveal their mysteries to the observant viewer.
Discovery
The quality of the exhibits, numbering in excess of 150, is unique and makes our Wunderkammer one of the most significant private collections of its kind. The juxtaposition of works from different cultures generates its very own effect. The permanent collection places an emphasis on Vanitas (“Consider the fact that you will die”). In the Baroque period, death was already staged with a mixture of devotion, interest, and humour. The scope for interpretation of this topic is manifested by an anatomical model dating from the second half of the 17th century. The organs and the foetus of the laid out body of a pregnant woman can be removed and prompt one to indulge in a playful handling of this miniature.
Understanding
The objects in the Wunderkammer exert an incredible fascination and will captivate the curious with a vision of a small, encyclopaedic, unique universe, which ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of the correlations between art, nature, and science.
The Kunstkammer Georg Laue, Munich, is responsible for the conception, the installation and supervision of the WUNDERKAMMER OLBRICHT.
Find here a radio segment about Thomas Olbricht and the Wunderkammer by Margit Miosga. Broadcasted on the morning of 18th of June 2011 on rbb Kultur am Morgen (in German).
rbb Kulturradio am Morgen_18.6.2011_07h10_Porträt Thomas Olbricht von Margit Miosga
Guided tours of the Wunderkammer and of the current exhibition can be booked through art:berlin.
