Mark Dion. The Natural History of the Museum

Häftad bok. Paris Archibooks. 1 uppl. 2007.

Nyskick. Inplastat ex. (Plastic wrapping)
Carré d'Art-Musée d'Art contemporain de Nîmes & Dunkers kulturhus & Seedamm-Kulturzentrum.
"The Natural History Museum is exhibiting a series of installations created by American artist Mark Dion in honour of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern biological classification. On show until September 2 2007, the works bridge the 18th and 21st centuries, the processes of science and art and the crossover between urban environments and nature. The title of the exhibition, Systema Metropolis, is derived from Linnaeus’ seminal work ‘Systema Naturae’, published in 1735, of which there is a rare first edition on show. Linnaeus (also known as von Linné) invented the binomial (two-name) system of classifying living things. It is this Swedish scientist, born on May 23 1807, who we have to thank for the Latin name for human, ‘Homo sapiens’. As another example, his efforts also shortened the internationally recognisable name for tomato from ‘Solanum caule inermi herbaceo, foliis pinnatis incises, racemis simplicibus’ to the much easier ‘Solanum lycopersicum’.
Dion notes that it was a brave move for the NHM to mark Linnaeus’ birthday with an exhibition based on contemporary art rather than a factual display about taxonomy. Systema Metropolis opens with an introduction to Linnaeus, but it is put together in a creative way, mixed in with old naturalists’ collecting equipment and rare books. You can spot an antique specimen of Cannabis sativa in one of the old-fashioned display cases here. On either side of Linneaus’ original herbarium cabinet are a collection of portraits and a bust of him – this implied reverence of science or scientists is one of the key themes in Dion’s work at the Natural History Museum."