THE NATURAL ORDER. Visualizing the Structure of Nature
from 24. April 2023
The new history trail through the NHM Vienna.
Since its foundation, the Natural History Museum Vienna has
strived to make visible the order of nature. For over 270 years its collections have enabled ever new perspectives on natural
and cultural history.
Ordering is key to gaining knowledge from collections. The principles upon which such ordering takes place change over the course of time. This is reflected in the museum’s collections. As a precious archive of biological biodiversity, but also of human and cultural history, the NHM Vienna has the potential to stimulate debate on burning questions of the present and future.
A core aim of all museums is to transfer knowledge as easy and understandable as possible. For this, museums have created pools of experts specializing in visualization. Just like the ordering principles themselves, visualization methods have also changed and been refined over the course of history.
The spectrum ranges from taxidermic preparations, models, dioramas, and pictures to digital 3D models, augmented reality, and interactive designs.
This trail invites you to embark on a journey of discovery through the NHM Vienna. It shows historical changes in order and visualization from the 16th-century chamber of arts and curiosities to the 21st-century modern museum based on the principles of evolution. Discover the halls and their decorations as a reflection of our changing view of order in nature.
Stations
Ordering is key to gaining knowledge from collections. The principles upon which such ordering takes place change over the course of time. This is reflected in the museum’s collections. As a precious archive of biological biodiversity, but also of human and cultural history, the NHM Vienna has the potential to stimulate debate on burning questions of the present and future.
A core aim of all museums is to transfer knowledge as easy and understandable as possible. For this, museums have created pools of experts specializing in visualization. Just like the ordering principles themselves, visualization methods have also changed and been refined over the course of history.
The spectrum ranges from taxidermic preparations, models, dioramas, and pictures to digital 3D models, augmented reality, and interactive designs.
This trail invites you to embark on a journey of discovery through the NHM Vienna. It shows historical changes in order and visualization from the 16th-century chamber of arts and curiosities to the 21st-century modern museum based on the principles of evolution. Discover the halls and their decorations as a reflection of our changing view of order in nature.
Stations
- THE EMPEROR’S COLLECTIONS
- THE SECRET ORDER OF THE COSMOS
- FROM COPERNICUS TO IMPACT PROCESSES
- PAST WORLDS AND MONSTERS
- HOW OUR ANCESTORS LIVED
- IMAGE OF MAN – MAN’S IMAGE
- SYSTEMATIC ORDERING & EVOLUTION
- DARWIN – THE DESCENT OF MAN
- MADE OF GLASS, WAX, AND PLASTIC
- LIFE IN A DISPLAY CASE
- AMBASSADOR OF EXTINCTION
- SILENT WITNESSES OR THE ART OF TAXIDERMY
- LOOKING BACK
- LOOKING FORWARD
