7 Gaze into the Landscape: Can Sensory Immersion, Landscape Reading and . . .
115
7.5.2 From “In Vitro” Landscape to “Showcase Landscape”:
The Landscape Challenge of Dioramas and Aquariums
Who does this concern? In addition to protected areas, “park houses” and exhibition
venues, more or less connected with the outdoor landscape sites, also face this strategic challenge. Aquariums raise questions. Their principle and forms stem from an old
spatial system based on an in vitro importation of the landscape. Like a screen, panes
of glass can be used to adjust the manner in which a landscape object is presented to
the public. However, there appears to be some opposition between the “distancing”
show cases found in traditional museums and the “immersive” show case of aquariums and dioramas. Where the object is exhibited alone and enclosed, it is isolated
from its original network of living structures by the glass, leading to observation and
scientific abstraction of an object of study. A diorama aims to do quite the opposite.
Its promoters, the founding fathers of ecology Alexander von Humboldt and Ernst
Haeckel
38 , aimed to figuratively reproduce a landscape and all of its features. In “De
l’utilité de la peinture de paysage en sciences de la vie”, Humboldt, who himself
drew both sensory and artistic sketches
39 , explains his vision in favour of cooperation
between artists and ecologists. With the “diorama”, he wanted to establish a visible
connection for the public between landscape and biological causality. As Director of
the Museum of Berlin, he oversaw the very first dioramas developed for a museum,
while Haeckel devoted himself to aquariums. A museographical process from the
nineteenth century, the principle of aquariums has changed little ever since. Semidecor containing real landscape components, it is unfortunately always technically
limited in volume and richness. Its status in relation to the landscape is ambiguous, particularly with recent technical advances
40 . Presented as genuine fragments
or isolates of threatened natural habitats and species, there is no certainty that the
scenographic or museographical process at work offers anything new. The public still
finds itself facing an enclosed, limited world. Conscious of the scenographic problem, their managers attempt to “break” this glass shell and include more evocation of
the outdoor world and each aspect of the landscape (plants, but also light, sound and
movement) for the public’s experience. In our opinion, this trend demonstrates the
new paradigm of museographical “immersion” through closer connection with the
landscape. As a result, scenographers, lighting specialists and landscape designers
are increasingly in demand on the museography market. So when will the same effort
be made for museographical immersion into the underwater landscape?
38 Haeckel invented the notion of biocoenosis, based on a study of oysters and their environment. A
biologist and painter, he was Director of Hamburg Natural History Museum and had the very first
modern aquarium built, following the example of Humboldt’s terrestrial dioramas.
39 See his highly famous watercolour diagram of the Chimborazo volcano in the Andes, which
he climbed with the botanist Bonpland. Their floristic inventory was a founding document of
phytosociology.
40 Even though recent improvements in materials now allow scenes to be embraced in large
panoramic windows.
115
7.5.2 From “In Vitro” Landscape to “Showcase Landscape”:
The Landscape Challenge of Dioramas and Aquariums
Who does this concern? In addition to protected areas, “park houses” and exhibition
venues, more or less connected with the outdoor landscape sites, also face this strategic challenge. Aquariums raise questions. Their principle and forms stem from an old
spatial system based on an in vitro importation of the landscape. Like a screen, panes
of glass can be used to adjust the manner in which a landscape object is presented to
the public. However, there appears to be some opposition between the “distancing”
show cases found in traditional museums and the “immersive” show case of aquariums and dioramas. Where the object is exhibited alone and enclosed, it is isolated
from its original network of living structures by the glass, leading to observation and
scientific abstraction of an object of study. A diorama aims to do quite the opposite.
Its promoters, the founding fathers of ecology Alexander von Humboldt and Ernst
Haeckel
38 , aimed to figuratively reproduce a landscape and all of its features. In “De
l’utilité de la peinture de paysage en sciences de la vie”, Humboldt, who himself
drew both sensory and artistic sketches
39 , explains his vision in favour of cooperation
between artists and ecologists. With the “diorama”, he wanted to establish a visible
connection for the public between landscape and biological causality. As Director of
the Museum of Berlin, he oversaw the very first dioramas developed for a museum,
while Haeckel devoted himself to aquariums. A museographical process from the
nineteenth century, the principle of aquariums has changed little ever since. Semidecor containing real landscape components, it is unfortunately always technically
limited in volume and richness. Its status in relation to the landscape is ambiguous, particularly with recent technical advances
40 . Presented as genuine fragments
or isolates of threatened natural habitats and species, there is no certainty that the
scenographic or museographical process at work offers anything new. The public still
finds itself facing an enclosed, limited world. Conscious of the scenographic problem, their managers attempt to “break” this glass shell and include more evocation of
the outdoor world and each aspect of the landscape (plants, but also light, sound and
movement) for the public’s experience. In our opinion, this trend demonstrates the
new paradigm of museographical “immersion” through closer connection with the
landscape. As a result, scenographers, lighting specialists and landscape designers
are increasingly in demand on the museography market. So when will the same effort
be made for museographical immersion into the underwater landscape?
38 Haeckel invented the notion of biocoenosis, based on a study of oysters and their environment. A
biologist and painter, he was Director of Hamburg Natural History Museum and had the very first
modern aquarium built, following the example of Humboldt’s terrestrial dioramas.
39 See his highly famous watercolour diagram of the Chimborazo volcano in the Andes, which
he climbed with the botanist Bonpland. Their floristic inventory was a founding document of
phytosociology.
40 Even though recent improvements in materials now allow scenes to be embraced in large
panoramic windows.