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PORTFOLIO
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PERMANENT GALLERIES:
2014
PRECIOUS THINGS
The Natural History Museum of Denmark Curator: Hanne Strager and Joakim Engel A gallery featuring the treasures of The Natural History Museum of Denmark including the oldest evidence of life on Earth, the skull of a Dodo, the remains of last great auks in the World, the fossil of a Diplodocus and the newly found collection of 77 barnacles, a gift from Darwin to the museum in 1854. (Top: Graverede nautilus-skaller fra Det Kongelige Kunstkammer.. Bottom: The gift from Darwin. Rigth: The diplodocus skeleton)
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2011
Treasures from the Past
The Natural History Museum of Denmark Curator: Jakob Danneskiold Samsoe A gallery featuring objects from our oldest collections: Ole Worm’s 17th Century Museum Wormianum catalogue and the Royal Kunstkammer. The exhibition showcases American artist Rosamond Purcell’s installation, One Room, which is a reconstruction of Olaus Worm’s Cabinet of Curiosities (1655) (right)— The precursor to the oldest museums in the world.
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2009
Hall of Evolution
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Hanne Strager
This is the story of Darwin’s discoveries
and the theory of evolution. The exhibition
includes a reconstruction of the cabin
aboard Beagle, a diorama from Punta
Alta with skeletons of Megatherium and
Glyptodont, a diorama from Galapagos,
a reconstruction of Darwin’s study at his
house in Downe, and an innovative 3-D
interpretation of TheTree of Life.
The exhibition was developed in collaboration
with Professor Peter Kjærgaard,
University of Aarhus, English Heritage,
and The Darwin Natural History Museum,
Monte Hermoso, Argentina as well
as numerous scientists from the Natural
History Museum of Denmark. (Top:
Hanne Strager hosting the Crown Prince
of Denmark, Secretaries of State for Science
and Education, Helge Sander and
Bertel Haarder respectively, and Museum
Director Morten Meldgaard. Bottom:
Reconstruction of Darwin’s cabin, aboard
Beagle. Right: Megatherium skeleton.)
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2006
Birds and Feathers
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Hanne Strager
The evolution and many variable functions of feathers, featuring
fossils and reconstructed feathered dinosaurs and birds. The exhibition
is free of glass-case scenography and instead features
birds flying in the air, sitting in trees, and walking on podiums.
Reviewed by a leading national paper, Weekendavisen, as “. .
.informative, relevant, creative and beautiful.”
This exhibition was developed in consultation with Professor Jon
Fjeldså and Associate Professor Per Christiansen, University of
Copenhagen.
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TEMPORARY
EXHIBITIONS:
2013
Mammoths -The Giants From Russia
The Natural History Museum of Denmark and Borissiak
Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of
Sciences
Curator: Joakim Engel and Hanne Strager
The extinct Eurasian megafauna, the mammoth, the
steppe bison and the wholly rhoinocerous were the high
lights of the exhibition Mammoths. The exhibition was
made possible through a loan from the Russian Academy
of Sciences and aimed at shedding light on what
caused the extinction af the meagafauna.
The exhibition also shows the stunning photographs
of the Russian photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva from
Sibiria. She has followed modern treasure hunters, local
men who excavate the muddy river banks in Siberia for
the bones and tusks of long dead giants.
Top: Hanne Strager showing the exhibition to journalists
just prior to the opeing. Bottom Rigth: Photo by
Evgenia Arbugaeva. Bottom left: A young guest studying
the bones of one of the extinct species
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2012
Spiders. Alive!
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Joakim Engel and Hanne Strager
Featuring spiders from all over the world,
including more than 25 live species. Also
glass spider sculptures by English artist
Neil Wilkins (right, black widow) and a
magnificent gold scarf made from spider
silk in Madagascar.
The exhibition was developed in collaboration
with The National Museum of
Denmark, artists Guillaume Lehoux, Neil
Wilkins and Nina Katchadourian, numerous
photographers and filmmakers from
all over the world, British art historian
Nicholas Godley,and New York fashion
designer Simon Peers, and with scientific
assistance and inspiration from Associate
Professor Nikolaj Scharff and Post. Doc.
Hannah Wood.
For this exhibition the museum developed
a new educational tool—“The Museum
Box” that allowed teachers and students to
investigate the life of spiders using instruments
and materials in the box.
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2012
Flora Danica
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Birgitte Rubæk
The exhibition shows the story of the
Flora Danica. It started with a cloudberry
plant. Later followed thousands of flowers,
algea, and fungi which were sketched
and printed for a magnificent work on wild
plants native to Denmark: Flora Danica
- a genuine 18th Century product of the
Enlightenment, which came into being
through collaboration among scientists,
engravers, and artist during a period of
123 years
The exhibition was done in collaboration
with some of Denmark’s finest contemporary
artists, who each picked one or more
of the original copper engravings and
used them to create new interpretations.
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Caption Text1
2011
Whales
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Hanne Strager
Few things are more fascinating than the
giants of the sea. Their relationship with
humans—mythology, hunting, and stranding—
is documented in this exhibition.
We showcase a selection of the museum’s
whale skeletons and specimens preserved
in spirit—including a real heart from a bowhead
whale—as well as scientific drawings,
logs and journals from whaling ships, and
photographs and paintings from the early
17th century to present day.
The exhibition features a hands-on area
and teaching program that allows teachers
to take students on an exploratory selfguided
trail through the exhibit. Top: Heart of a
bowhead whale. Bottom: Whale skull and
vintage pictures of strandings. 2011
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2010
Biodiversity is Life, Biodiversity
is Our Life
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: UNESCO
This travelling exhibition was made possible by a partnership
between the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, The European
Environment Agency, The French Embassy, the Natural
History Museum of Denmark and the Danish National Commission
for UNESCO. Right: Her Royal Highness Princess
Marie of Denmark with Museum Director Morten Meldgaard.
2009
Climate Change: The Threat to Life and A New
Energy Future
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Ed Mathez, American Museum of Natural History
(AMNH)
A travelling exhibition developed by the AMNH in collaboration
with eight other museums (including the Natural History
Museum of Denmark). The exhibition illustrated the science
of climate change as well as possible solutions to its consequences.
For the Danish version we developed partnerships
with Siemens, Shell, Velux and many other companies and included
a Danish angle on energy solutions. We also developed
an educational programme for primary and secondary schools
that included a board game on energy economy and politics,
which is currently being adapted to an e-learning format.
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2008
Galathea
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Hanne Strager
An exhibition about the history of Danish oceanographic
exploration, starting out with the Galathea
Expedition in 1845 to 2007. The exhibition
featured a highly popular interactive display
where visitors could engage in dialogue with ten
scientists and ask questions about their fascination
with science. Right: 3-D laser engravings of
microscopic marine animals.
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2004
Bionic
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Hanne Strager
Engineering, architecture, and design find Inspiration and innovative solutions
from nature. Biomimicry is a fast developing branch of research and
technology that finds solutions to design and engineering problems. The
exhibition was featured in a range of high-profile media and attracted an
exceptionally wide range of visitors (engineers, design and architecture
students, and corporate groups requesting guided tours).
Bionic was developed in collaboration with numerous other institutions,
including the biomimetic labs at Bath and Reading Universities, the Technical
University of Denmark, University of Tokyo, CF Moeller Architects,
and University of Oxford. (Above: An artificial hand Right: A Mars-lander
inspired by a spider).
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2003
Biodiversity
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Hanne Strager
Celebrating the diversity of life, this exhibition
showed not only all the different life forms on earth
but also raised the question of how and where to
protect them. The exhibition was developed in
collaboration with the Global Biodiversity Information
Facility and Professor Jon Fjeldså provided
scientific input and review. A part of the exhibition
is integrated in the biodiversity wall of the new
Hall of Evolution. Right: A selection of bird skulls.
2003
Phytoplankton
The Oceanographic Institute,
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Curator: Hanne Strager
An exhibition made for The Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO
to celebrate 10 years of capacity building and
science collaboration with the Vietnamese Government.
Vietnamese experts assisted in the curation
and production. Advanced 3-D scanning
and laser techniques were used to illustrate microscopic
life.
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2001
The Ancient Sea
Denmark’s Aquarium
Curator: Hanne Strager
An exhibition about the evolution of life
in the ancient sea, from Precambrian to
the age of mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.
The exhibition showed a combination
of “living fossils” in aquaria tanks as
well as fossils and reconstructions. The
exhibition was developed in collaboration
with the Natural History Museum of
Denmark, the Natural History Museum
of London and University of Copenhagen.
2000
Dolphins
The Tycho Brahe Planetarium, Copenhagen
Curator: Hanne Strager
An exhibition about dolphins and threats
to marine mammals in connection with
an IMAX movie about dolphins. The
exhibition was developed in cooperation
with the Natural History Museum
of Denmark. Right: Bottlenose dolphin
skull.
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1999
Drawing Nature:
Scientific Illustrations
Denmark’s Aquarium
Curator: Hanne Strager
Six different artists demonstrate various
techniques and subjects from birds
and flowers to rocks and landscapes.
Top: Drawing by Anne Hviid Nicolaisen
1998
Corals
Denmark’s Aquarium
Curator: Hanne Strager
Coral from all over the world, featuring
the use of coral in jewelry, the destruction
of coral reefs, and live corals in
aquaria. The exhibition included a selection
of the famous “fish herbarium”
(right) collected by Linnaeus’ student,
Peder Forsskål, in Yemen in 1761-
1762.
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2011
Inge Lehmann
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Curator: Lotte Boesen Toftgaard
Seven artists celebrated the famous Danish
geologist, Inge Lehmann, who discovered
that the core of the Earth is solid.
2011
Poetry in the Garden
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
and the Botanical Gardens
Curator: Lars Green Dahl
Forty poems from three centuries. This exhibition
was featured in a national high school
essay competition and in a workshop for 90
high school teachers of Danish literature.
2009
Britt Smelvær’s Floating Bowls
The Natural History Museum of Denmark
and the Botanical Gardens
Curator: Birgitte Rubæk
The beautiful and poetic bowl sculptures (left)
are acrylic with embedded dried leaves and
flowers. The bowls were an instant hit with
visitors and were sorely missed when they
moved to a new location.
ART EXHIBITIONS
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2002
The Wall by Rasmus Bregnhøi
Denmark’s Aquarium
Curator: Hanne Strager
A participatory art project for children.
Artist Rasmus Bregnhøi used children’s
paintings to create a 15m-long mural of a
whale. The concept later developed into a
traditionrunning for many years with a new
artist directing hundreds of children and
adapting their work into murals.
2000
Shackleton in Antarctica
Denmark’s Aquarium
Curator: Hanne Strager
Shackleton’s epic journey on the ship Endurance.
Frank Hurley’s incredible photographs
were accompanied by quotes from
letters and diaries telling the fantastic story
of survival, leadership, friendship, and heroism.
Exhibition developed in cooperation
with the Royal Geographical Society, London.
Right: Frank Wild, Shackleton’s righthand-
man with one of his dogs Far right:
The Endurance locked in ice.
1996
Art for Nature
Andenes Whale Center, Norway
Curator: Hanne Strager
A participatory art project for international students.
The art work was a 75 m2 sail hoisted up
the local lighthouse.
1994
Nicaragua, mi amor
Various places
Curator and photographer: Hanne Strager
Photos and lyrics around the theme of nature and conservation
in Nicaragua.
