Skelette – Choreografen der Bewegung

Translated title: Skeletons – Choreographers of Movement

Alex Cresswell-Boyes, David Mills, Alan Boyde

Research output: Non-textual formExhibition

Abstract

Structure and Movement
Swimming, running, climbing, jumping or flying – animals move in many different ways. It’s impressive what kind of constructions nature has come up with. The skeleton plays a central role in movement – it is built very differently depending on the organism’s way of life and yet all skeletons share a common basic structure. A diversity of skeletons – from shrews and hippos to parrotfish and owls – are on display in spectacular form, including first-class skeletal specimens from museums in Germany and Austria.

Dynamics of Movement
X-ray films from the University of Jena, which were originally made for research purposes, give an impression of how dynamically the seemingly rigid skeletal structures move. These films document the fascinating choreography behind these movements. Audio texts in German and English, as well as through sign language videos, accompany the objects on display.

The Marvel of Bones
Perhaps the most amazing thing about skeletons is what they are made of: Bone. Contrary to their initial appearance, bones are very much alive as they are constantly changing and adapting to new stresses. A large part of the exhibition is therefore dedicated to these marvels of nature. Among other things, the exhibition will show the inner structure of bone and explain the on-going processes of formation and degradation as well as bone diseases. You can explore your own skeleton, find out what bones tell us about a person’s life and how they can be trained and strengthened. It also shows how the structure of bone serves as a model for technology and where bone is used as a raw material.

Interdisciplinary cooperation
The museum team has spent over two years developing this exhibition with the participation of experts from a wide range of disciplines. It is presented in two exhibition rooms covering an area of over 400 m² and includes numerous objects from the Bavarian State Natural History Collections as well as loans from more than 20 institutions in Germany and abroad.
Translated titleSkeletons – Choreographers of Movement
Original languageGerman
Place of PublicationMunich
PublisherMuseum Mensch und Natur
Publication statusPublished - 22 Mar 2024

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