Nicht wenige Museen weltweit leiden an Corona-bedingtem Besucherschwund. Dass es den Kuratoren deswegen noch lange nicht langweilig wird, zeigt ein Blick in Richtung Twittersphäre.
Nur zu gerne erinnern wir uns an das epische Twitter-Battle von zwei der grossartigsten (und grössten) Museen der Welt, zwischen dem Natural History Museum und dem Science Museum in London, damals im 2017:
«Wir haben Dinosaurier. Kein Wettstreit.» Legendär.
Seit dem Lockdown tobt nun ein weiterer virtueller Kampf. Unter dem Hashtag #CuratorBattle liegen Museen aus aller Welt im Wettstreit. Federführend ist diesmal das auf Archäologie spezialisierte Yorkshire Museum. Jeweils wird ein Motto vorgegeben, das als Challenge am Anfang steht. Hier etwa werden die Kuratoren aufgefordert, ihr #CreepiestObject zu zeigen:
MUSEUMS ASSEMBLE! It's time for #CURATORBATTLE! 💥
— Yorkshire Museum (@YorkshireMuseum) April 17, 2020
Today's theme, chosen by you, is #CreepiestObject!
We're kicking things off with this 3rd/4th century hair bun from the burial of a #Roman lady, still with the jet pins in place...
CAN YOU BEAT IT? 💥 pic.twitter.com/ntPiXDuM6v
Die Antworten folgen postwendend.
Can I offer 'Tirpitz' here? Saved from drowning after her German ship sunk the South Pacific, served as a mascot on HMS Glasgow for the rest of the FWW, eventually auctioned off for pork (raising £1,785 for charity) in retirement. No wonder she looks like she's seen things. pic.twitter.com/gYdkvK60Yb
— Imperial War Museums (@I_W_M) April 17, 2020
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, we present ....
— Egham Museum (@EghamMuseum) April 17, 2020
MC 294
No need to thank us, it was honestly our pleasure #CURATORBATTLE #CreepiestObject pic.twitter.com/kgAA2ePMIr
Thanks for thinking of us @HottyCouture and wow, will we be having nightmares tonight with all these #CreepiestObject|s ! Here is the one we just can't hide from you, one of our many creepy gems – our Plague Mask (1650/1750)! #curatorbattle pic.twitter.com/JrMjqAJSIM
— Deutsches Historisches Museum (@DHMBerlin) April 17, 2020
Turn the creep up to 💯 and check out this iron mask that was exhibited in the @TowerOfLondon as an Executioner's Mask. However, due to its grotesque appearance, we think it's more likely part of an elaborate scold’s bridle - an iron muzzle designed for public humiliation 😱 pic.twitter.com/1nG4mMZRex
— Royal Armouries (@Royal_Armouries) April 17, 2020
Can we play!?
— MuseumsGalleriesScot (@MuseumsGalScot) April 17, 2020
We don't have a collection but our Digital Manager spotted this in the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum in Innsbruck.
Its a "decorative" towel holder for your bathroom...☠️☠️☠️#CuratorBattle #CreepiestObject pic.twitter.com/bT0AGX0lKL
There's some freaky stuff in the Clarke Charms Collection. Here's a human finger bone used by a gambler to bring good luck... #CURATORBATTLE#CreepiestObject pic.twitter.com/jQvHwZCTh8
— SMT Collections Team (@SMT_Collections) April 17, 2020
Does "something in a jar" strike your fancy? #CreepiestObject pic.twitter.com/grVWP5hRLw
— Nova Scotia Museum (@NS_Museum) April 17, 2020
Our #CreepiestObject has to be this ‘mermaid’... 😱💀🧜♀️ #CURATORBATTLE #TroublingTaxidermy pic.twitter.com/GMSosyuqIX
— Natural Sciences NMS (@NatSciNMS) April 17, 2020
Oldcroghan Man in @NMIreland - or what was left of him after a ritualistic sacrifice. #CURATORBATTLE
— Catherine McGuinness (@CatsInTheMuseum) April 18, 2020
Side note - he was tortured before he died & among other things had his nipples cut off 😱 pic.twitter.com/RINuzsR7Qj
Und noch etliche mehr.
Alsbald folgte der Challenge, das #SassiestObject zu finden:
IT'S TIME FOR #CURATORBATTLE💥This week’s theme is #SassiestObject!✨
— Yorkshire Museum (@YorkshireMuseum) April 24, 2020
We're starting with this bust of Emperor Constantine The Great. He won the throne, reunited the #Roman empire, AND named a city after himself.
It's even in his name. He knows he's worth it.
CAN YOU BEAT IT? pic.twitter.com/JnGUfryhVO
Our sassy Ocean Sunfish says
— Natural Sciences NMS (@NatSciNMS) April 24, 2020
“Talk to the fin pal” 🤚🐟#CURATORBATTLE #SassiestObject pic.twitter.com/eSFwbLoHOp
This Alligator Lady by Tony Bennett has to be our #SassiestObject.
— Ulster Museum (@UlsterMuseum) April 24, 2020
Knee high boots✔️
Matching coat✔️
Razor sharp grin✔️
Name a sassier reptile...we'll wait. #CURATORBATTLE pic.twitter.com/a29YqkCuQE
How about this Japanese ukiyo-e(woodblock prints) from @ukiyoeota Collections?
— 太田記念美術館 Ota Memorial Museum of Art (@ukiyoeota) April 24, 2020
She is a courtesan in a gorgeous kimono with bird pattern.
Too much hair accessories are too flashy!#SassiestObject #CURATORBATTLE pic.twitter.com/EqliZjvHzI
The 'New Women' of the Roaring Twenties really knew how to be sassy and stay classy – especially with their iconic 'Bubikopf' haircut! #SassiestObject #CURATORBATTLE pic.twitter.com/E93Piemoxn
— Deutsches Historisches Museum (@DHMBerlin) April 24, 2020
Our Hippo says 'You don't even KNOW sass!'#SassiestObject #CURATORBATTLE pic.twitter.com/L2YHcw7elY
— Dublin's Dead Zoo (@DublinDeadZoo) April 24, 2020
OK stand back!
— Punk Science (@Punk_Science) April 24, 2020
Albino Peacock coming through!
This is all the sass! #CURATORBATTLE #SassiestObject pic.twitter.com/3TMuOFCGLs
Selbstredend gab es zu Ostern das #Best Egg:
It's time for #CURATORBATTLE!💥
— Yorkshire Museum (@YorkshireMuseum) April 9, 2020
As it's #Easter, we're looking for the BEST EGG!
We're kicking things off with remains of an actual #Roman egg! It's over 1600 years old and from #York. PLUS it's pictured on red cloth, which means it's proper fancy.
CAN YOU BEAT IT? #BestEgg pic.twitter.com/UCwcw70958
1600 yrs? I have socks older than that. Before we start on fossils...This is a mummified egg from the Egypt Exploration Fund Collection. It was excavated by Sir Flinders Petrie from Denderah, Upper Egypt c. 1898. It is possibly c. 3200 old. #CURATORBATTLE #Easter #BestEgg pic.twitter.com/1bHDaFpkzY
— NHM Oology (@NHM_Oology) April 9, 2020
We've got a proper egg for you!🥚
— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) April 10, 2020
Many dino eggs like this have been discovered in south France, dating from ~68 mil yrs ago. The most common sauropod found in this area is Hypselosaurus. Thus, paleontologists have concluded that the eggs belong to Hypselosaurus.🦕#BestEgg pic.twitter.com/IAJzvjby2E
Яйцо пасхальное с росписью в «японском» стиле.Россия,последняя четверть XIX века #bestEgg pic.twitter.com/d8rmGevaDs
— Эрмитаж / Hermitage (@state_hermitage) April 10, 2020
Aktuell sind wir bei der Suche nach dem #BestHat, dem besten Hut.
MUSEUMS ASSEMBLE! It's time for #CURATORBATTLE! 💥
— Yorkshire Museum (@YorkshireMuseum) May 1, 2020
Today's theme, chosen by you, is #BestHat!
We're kicking things off with this 'hat' - one of the oldest there is! This Mesolithic headdress found at Star Carr is around 11,000 years old!
CAN YOU BEAT IT? 🎩 pic.twitter.com/dZOYPxvYiu
The oldest known straw hat in the world? A 1,500-year-old late Roman grasswork "Panama hat" from Flinders Petrie's 1901-2 field season in Egyp—donated to the @Pitt_Rivers by the Egypt Exploration Fund. In 2017 we radiocarbon dated this hat to CE 420-568. #CURATORBATTLE #BestHat pic.twitter.com/hiLzL0UJVF
— Dan Hicks (@profdanhicks) May 1, 2020
How about a Jedi Helmet from @sciencemuseum it was used to take MRI scans#CURATORBATTLE #BestHat pic.twitter.com/XcI6luRHQs
— Punk Science (@Punk_Science) May 1, 2020
Do you find you're always forgetting your hearing-trumpet or eye-glass?
— National Science and Media Museum (@mediamuseum) May 1, 2020
Fear not! With this stylish and modern Revolving Hat, you'll never leave home without them.https://t.co/8PXgViaF6J pic.twitter.com/rHz0y9CqvS
OK do we win? German shepherd police dog wearing a Christy & Co. mini police helmet. The dog (thought to be a @RochdaleGMP Police dog) apparently had the most arrests in a year and was given a special award including the little hat. Mid 1960s - early 70s. #CURATORBATTLE #BestHat pic.twitter.com/XK8u6mYlq6
— Hat Works Museum (@Hatworksmuseum) May 1, 2020
Auf dass die Museumsgesellschaften weltweit weiterhin mitmachen und uns mit ihren bizarrsten Sammlungsstücken beglücken! Am Freitag jeder Woche folgt jeweils das neuste Motto.
Da kommen sehr interessante Dinge zum Vorschein. Das kriege ich richtig Bock, wieder einmal ein Museum zu besuchen, wenn der Lockdown beendet ist!