Groote

The Groote Museum, which simply means "big museum", originally opened in 1855 for the zoological society Natura Artis Magistra. Situated right next door to the Amsterdam Royal Zoo, it exhibited specimens such as shells, skeletons and animal skins, which were supplied by the affiliated zoo. In those days, humans saw themselves as separate and superior beings. Today's Groote Museum makes a clean break from this view by highlighting the links between all living creatures.

From prepared tree roots and over-dimensioned earthworms to the degenerated spine of a homo sapien staring at a mobile phone: all original objects were specially developed for the exhibition. They have been combined with interactive media stations, art interventions and audiovisual items to create an astonishing mosaic of life. Twelve chapters run through the impressive rooms within the historical museum building enabling visitors to see how everything in our world is connected.

The media exhibits employ forms of interaction that revolve around the visitors' own bodies. The different chapters take a specific part of your body as a starting point and help you identify with the central messages behind the exhibition.

For example a machine learning algorithm detects how you move your spine and assign them to different animals that then move with you. The installation allows you to see how it feels to crawl like a salamander, sprint like a jaguar and swim like a sea anemone instead of spending the whole day sitting.

The next media station looks at our ecological footprint. This is an often abstract and complex topic that we tackled with an artistic element to create a personal experience. A satellite image of your home is transformed into the map of an island that holds all the resources needed to maintain the standard of living in your country.

All the exhibits at the Groote Museum pose major questions. It is down to you yourself to find the answers. A sculpture in the shape of a question mark that reaches up to the ceiling in the entrance area calls on you to think. A second level then comes into view as you approach it: a range of augmented reality effects place you in fantastic scenes that question your own role in the environment.