The “animals of Africa”

The “animals of Africa” whose skins, skulls and horns were brought to Bern from hunting expeditions al-most 100 years ago can still be admired today in the habitat dioramas of the Natural History Museum in Bern.

Factsheet

  • Schools involved Bern Academy of the Arts
  • Institute(s) Institute Practices and Theories in the Arts
  • Research unit(s) Art as Research: artistic creation and epistemologies
  • Funding organisation SNSF
  • Duration 01.10.2020 - 31.12.2024
  • Head of project Prof. Dr. Priska Gisler
  • Project staff Sarah Csernay
    Luzia Hürzeler
    Marleen Gerhold
  • Partner Universität Bern
    ETH
    Kunstmuseum Bern
    Naturhistorisches Museum Bern
    Universität Hamburg

Situation

This interdisciplinary project examines how, and based on what precedents, these donations were prepared to create seemingly “living” animals, into what “landscapes” they were integrated, and how these dioramas were maintained over time.

This project contributes to the following SDGs

  • 10: Reduced inequalities
  • 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions