THE WORLD OF TAXIDERMY
15.04. – 04.10.2015
 
Their work includes everything from cutting, chiseling, skinning and painting to carving artificial skeletons and dissecting organic structures. Their workshops are full of dust and often carry the smell of decay and solvents. Zoological, medical and paleontological taxidermists are masters of their craft and the backbone of any natural history museum. Now, the NHM Vienna has created a special exhibition dedicated to their work: “The World of Taxidermy”.
 
People have always striven to preserve living objects in pristine condition, as shown by the human and animal mummies of Ancient Egypt. From the 19th century onwards the demand for attractive hunting trophies grew, resulting in new conservation and taxidermy techniques. While these early objects are today of great historical value, they no longer meet the demands of modern taxidermy, which has little in common with the “stuffed” animals of the past. Instead, 21st century taxidermists employ state-of-the-art materials and techniques such as polyurethane foam and epoxy resins, cryogenic freezing and vacuum treatment, air brushing and precision instruments in order to achieve the same aim: to preserve as much as possible of the original, or to create a replica as lifelike as possible using modelling.

From 15 April until 4 October 2015, “The World of Taxidermy” special exhibition at the NHM Vienna will give visitors a fascinating insight into the 200-year-old history of taxidermy, revealing how the art of preservation has changed over the centuries and how model makers are today able to bring extinct species back to life.

BUFFALO BALLAD. Photographs by Heidi & Hans-Jürgen Koch
15.04 – 04.10.2015
 
“We traveled through the heart of bison country: North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Montana. Our view of the bison is neither romantic nor nostalgic – it shows in equal measures the past, the present and the future of the American prairie.” Heidi & Hans-Jürgen Koch
 
Buffalo Ballad is a quest for the spirit of this iconic American animal. Captured on their travels through the heart of bison country, Heidi & Hans-Jürgen Koch’s black-and-white photographs turn the mythical bison into a tangible vision. “There must be places out there where archaic creatures can roam free. Only a world where that is possible is a world worth living in,” explain the artists.
 
It is estimated that in the 16th century more than 30 million American bison made the journey across the grassy plains between Canada and Mexico and from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi. As they moved, their thick coats formed a pulsating dark ocean permanently in motion. The arrival of settlers in the Midwest marked the start of their demise. Never before in the history of humankind had man killed so many animals in such a short period of time. Within just two decades the bison population was decimated, with just a few animals surviving. The history of the bison tells the story of globalization and how technical progress, capitalism, ignorance of environmental interdependence, ideologies and politics interweave. The bison symbolizes the American soul. By sending cavalry soldiers to protect the last remaining bison, Theodor Roosevelt became the forefather of animal conservation in the US.
 
Today, bison are being reintroduced as part of the long-term project “Buffalo Commons”. One of the aims is to counteract the increasing desertification of the Great Plains, where the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s saw tens of thousands of settlers forced to leave the arid land that had become worthless. According to the project organizers, a return to hundreds of thousands of bison roaming the plains would help the region to recover – ecologically, economically and socially.
 
Heidi and Hans-Jürgen Koch studied social work and behavioral science before becoming professional photographers over 25 years ago. The many images they have had published in some of the world’s most renowned magazines reflect their passion and skill.