Musei scientifici: evoluzione attraverso i secoli
Un esempio: il Museo di Storia della Fisica dell’Università di
Padova
Caratteristiche e potenzialità dei musei universitari europei
Cosa e come comunicare attraverso un Museo di Storia della
Scienza
Master in Comunicazione delle Scienze - settembre 2014
Sofia Talas – Museo di Storia della Fisica
Il Museo
(secondo l’ICOM, International Council of Museums, 2004)
“… aperto al pubblico... compie ricerche che riguardano le
testimonianze materiali e immateriali dell’umanità e del suo
ambiente; le acquisisce, le conserva, le comunica e,
sopratutto, le espone a fini di studio, educazione e diletto.”
Nei Musei, possono cambiare: - Funzione & uso dell’oggetto
- Possessore, intento & funzione dell’istituzione
Musei come specchi dei cambiamenti del mondo
e della società
Gabinetti di Curiosità
Science museums Science centres
Typology,
Generation
Cabinet of Curiosities
Archetypes,
Examples
Francesco I de’ Medici,
Rudolph II of Habsburg,
August I & Christian I of
Saxony,
Hessian Landgraves
Role of Object Precious, icon, relic
Represents the world,
Reflects status owner
Type of object Authentic
Use of Object Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Arrangement &
ordering of Objects
Importance, value,
meaning, allegoric,
Aesthetic
Purpose & function
Institution
Contemplation,
Reflection on temporal
power & intellectual status
Owner Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
User/Public Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Location Schatzkammer,
Court,
Studio
Legal status Private
World view Renaissance,
Humanism
Social, cultural &
intellectual setting
& context
Knowledge from early
writings,
Veneration of rare &
miraculous,
Early universities
Typology,
Generation
Cabinet of Curiosities Learned Cabinet
Archetypes,
Examples
Francesco I de’ Medici,
Rudolph II of Habsburg,
August I & Christian I of
Saxony,
Hessian Landgraves
Ulisse Aldrovandi,
Frederick Ruysch,
Ashmolean Museum,
Teylers Museum
Role of Object Precious, icon, relic
Represents the world,
Reflects status owner
Primary source of
information,
Catalogues the world
Type of object Authentic Authentic
Use of Object Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Examination & classifi-
cation of the world,
Hands-on
Arrangement &
ordering of Objects
Importance, value,
meaning, allegoric,
Aesthetic
Systematic,
Specialisation,
Functional
Purpose & function
Institution
Contemplation,
Reflection on temporal
power & intellectual status
Investigate, catalogue,
classify & collect the
world,
Encyclopaedic
Owner Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Elite,
University,
Learned Society
User/Public Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Scholars & students,
Elite & Upper-middle
classes
Location Schatzkammer,
Court,
Studio
Private cabinet,
Academic laboratory (=
museum)
Legal status Private Private, University
World view Renaissance,
Humanism
Enlightenment,
Encyclopaedism
Social, cultural &
intellectual setting
& context
Knowledge from early
writings,
Veneration of rare &
miraculous,
Early universities
Voyages of discovery,
Scientific Revolution,
Learned societies,
Proliferation of science
I. Newton
P. Van Musschenbroek
W. ’s Gravesande “... macchine per convogliare la
forza delle proposizioni”
’s Gravesande a Newton, 1718
Gabinetti di fisica in Europa….
• Leiden
(De Volder, 1675, Senguerd, 1705, ’s Gravesande,1724, van Musschenbroek,
1742)
• Utrecht
(Serrurier, 1705, van Musschenbroek,1723)
• Uppsala (Klingenstierna, 1739)
• Padua (Poleni, 1740)
• Coimbra (Dalla Bella, 1772)
's Gravesande, Willem Jacob, Physices
Elementa, Leiden, 1742
Museo di Storia della Fisica, Padua, anni 1740
Museu de Fisica, Coimbra, circa 1760
Rivoluzione scientifica
Learned Cabinets nel XVII secolo
Gabinetti di Fisica nel XVIII
secolo
Emergono nuove discipline
nel XVIII secolo
Creazione di nuove collezioni e
riorganizzazione di quelle esistenti
nel XIX secolo
Collezioni nuove o riorganizzate attraverso l’Europa
Alcuni esempi
• Art - Archaeology Museums
Tartu, 1803; Padua, 1805; Cambridge, 1816; Halle-Wittenberg, 1820, ….
• Natural History Museums
Geology – Palaeontology –Mineralogy – Zoology - Anthropology / Ethnography
Zoological Museums: Tartu, 1802; Copenhagen, 1805; Wrocław, 1814; Cambridge, 1814-15, ....
Typology,
Generation
Cabinet of Curiosities Learned Cabinet Science Museum
Archetypes,
Examples
Francesco I de’ Medici,
Rudolph II of Habsburg,
August I & Christian I of
Saxony,
Hessian Landgraves
Ulisse Aldrovandi,
Frederick Ruysch,
Ashmolean Museum,
Teylers Museum
Conservatoire Nationale
des Arts et Métiers,
Science Museum,
Deutsches Museum
Role of Object Precious, icon, relic
Represents the world,
Reflects status owner
Primary source of
information,
Catalogues the world
Demonstrates
skills & progress of
industrialised world
Type of object Authentic Authentic Authentic
Instruction model
Use of Object Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Examination & classifi-
cation of the world,
Hands-on
Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Arrangement &
ordering of Objects
Importance, value,
meaning, allegoric,
Aesthetic
Systematic,
Specialisation,
Functional
Thematic,
Instructive
Purpose & function
Institution
Contemplation,
Reflection on temporal
power & intellectual status
Investigate, catalogue,
classify & collect the
world,
Encyclopaedic
Demonstrate skills &
progress of
industrialised world
Owner Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Elite,
University,
Learned Society
Government
User/Public Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Scholars & students,
Elite & Upper-middle
classes
Lower-middle &
working classes,
Schools
Location Schatzkammer,
Court,
Studio
Private cabinet,
Academic laboratory (=
museum)
‘Museum castle’
Legal status Private Private, University Government
World view Renaissance,
Humanism
Enlightenment,
Encyclopaedism
Positivism
Social, cultural &
intellectual setting
& context
Knowledge from early
writings,
Veneration of rare &
miraculous,
Early universities
Voyages of discovery,
Scientific Revolution,
Learned societies,
Proliferation of science
Industrial Revolution,
Great Exhibitions,
Science goes public,
Education reform
Typology,
Generation
Cabinet of Curiosities Learned Cabinet Science Museum Museum of History of
Science
Science Centre
Archetypes,
Examples
Francesco I de’ Medici,
Rudolph II of Habsburg,
August I & Christian I of
Saxony,
Hessian Landgraves
Ulisse Aldrovandi,
Frederick Ruysch,
Ashmolean Museum,
Teylers Museum
Conservatoire Nationale
des Arts et Métiers,
Science Museum,
Deutsches Museum
Istituto e Museo di
Storia delle Scienza,
Museum of the History
of Science (Oxford)
Urania,
Palais de la Découverte,
Evoluon,
Exploratorium
Role of Object Precious, icon, relic
Represents the world,
Reflects status owner
Primary source of
information,
Catalogues the world
Demonstrates
skills & progress of
industrialised world
Testimony,
Material evidence
Demonstration of
phenomenon, scientific
principle or concept
Type of object Authentic Authentic Authentic
Instruction model
Authentic Disposable interactive
props
Use of Object Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Examination & classifi-
cation of the world,
Hands-on
Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Reference,
Instruction,
Hands-off
Exercise,
Experience,
Hands-on
Arrangement &
ordering of Objects
Importance, value,
meaning, allegoric,
Aesthetic
Systematic,
Specialisation,
Functional
Thematic,
Instructive
Thematic,
Historic setting
Disciplinary,
Didactic,
Entertaining
Purpose & function
Institution
Contemplation,
Reflection on temporal
power & intellectual status
Investigate, catalogue,
classify & collect the
world,
Encyclopaedic
Demonstrate skills &
progress of
industrialised world
Archive & repository
Document & illustrate
the history of science
Promote public
understanding of
science
Owner Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Elite,
University,
Learned Society
Government University Public-Private
User/Public Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Scholars & students,
Elite & Upper-middle
classes
Lower-middle &
working classes,
Schools
Scholars & students,
General public,
Schools
General public,
Schools,
Tourist Industry
Location Schatzkammer,
Court,
Studio
Private cabinet,
Academic laboratory (=
museum)
‘Museum castle’ University Museum ‘Theme Park’
Legal status Private Private, University Government University Private sector
World view Renaissance,
Humanism
Enlightenment,
Encyclopaedism
Positivism Modernism Democratisation
Social, cultural &
intellectual setting
& context
Knowledge from early
writings,
Veneration of rare &
miraculous,
Early universities
Voyages of discovery,
Scientific Revolution,
Learned societies,
Proliferation of science
Industrial Revolution,
Great Exhibitions,
Science goes public,
Education reform
Awareness to heritage,
Teaching & research in
the History of Science
Information revolution,
Progress
Typology,
Generation
Cabinet of Curiosities Learned Cabinet Science Museum Museum of History of
Science
Science Centre Museum of Science of
the Future
Archetypes,
Examples
Francesco I de’ Medici,
Rudolph II of Habsburg,
August I & Christian I of
Saxony,
Hessian Landgraves
Ulisse Aldrovandi,
Frederick Ruysch,
Ashmolean Museum,
Teylers Museum
Conservatoire Nationale
des Arts et Métiers,
Science Museum,
Deutsches Museum
Istituto e Museo di
Storia delle Scienza,
Museum of the History
of Science (Oxford)
Urania,
Palais de la Découverte,
Evoluon,
Exploratorium
?
Role of Object Precious, icon, relic
Represents the world,
Reflects status owner
Primary source of
information,
Catalogues the world
Demonstrates
skills & progress of
industrialised world
Testimony,
Material evidence
Demonstration of
phenomenon, scientific
principle or concept
?
Type of object Authentic Authentic Authentic
Instruction model
Authentic Disposable interactive
props ? Use of Object Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Examination & classifi-
cation of the world,
Hands-on
Admiration,
Demonstration,
Hands-off
Reference,
Instruction,
Hands-off
Exercise,
Experience,
Hands-on ? Arrangement &
ordering of Objects
Importance, value,
meaning, allegoric,
Aesthetic
Systematic,
Specialisation,
Functional
Thematic,
Instructive
Thematic,
Historic setting
Disciplinary,
Didactic,
Entertaining
?
Purpose & function
Institution
Contemplation,
Reflection on temporal
power & intellectual status
Investigate, catalogue,
classify & collect the
world,
Encyclopaedic
Demonstrate skills &
progress of
industrialised world
Archive & repository
Document & illustrate
the history of science
Promote public
understanding of
science
?
Owner Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Elite,
University,
Learned Society
Government University Public-Private
? User/Public Aristocracy,
Intellectual & social elite
Scholars & students,
Elite & Upper-middle
classes
Lower-middle &
working classes,
Schools
Scholars & students,
General public,
Schools
General public,
Schools,
Tourist Industry
?
Location Schatzkammer,
Court,
Studio
Private cabinet,
Academic laboratory (=
museum)
‘Museum castle’ University Museum ‘Theme Park’ ?
Legal status Private Private, University Government University Private sector ?
World view Renaissance,
Humanism
Enlightenment,
Encyclopaedism
Positivism Modernism Democratisation ?
Social, cultural &
intellectual setting
& context
Knowledge from early
writings,
Veneration of rare &
miraculous,
Early universities
Voyages of discovery,
Scientific Revolution,
Learned societies,
Proliferation of science
Industrial Revolution,
Great Exhibitions,
Science goes public,
Education reform
Awareness to heritage,
Teaching & research in
the History of Science
Information revolution,
Progress ?
Musei scientifici: evoluzione attraverso i secoli
Un esempio: il Museo di Storia della Fisica dell’Università di
Padova
Caratteristiche e potenzialità dei musei universitari europei
Cosa e come comunicare attraverso un Museo di Storia della
Scienza
Master in Comunicazione delle Scienze - settembre 2014
Sofia Talas – Museo di Storia della Fisica
“302 - Un modello d'una macchina
adoperata dal Sig. Bortolo Ferracina, la
quale ha il suo moto dall'acqua e servi`
per battere pali nella costruzione del
Ponte di Bassano”
Poleni, Indice delle machine
metà XVIII secolo
“… alzare una massa di 350 kg ad una
altezza di 7 metri e batteva 2 colpi ogni
5 minuti per cui si potevano piantare,
nel greto del Brenta, dai 2 ai 3 pali al
giorno”
Musei scientifici: evoluzione attraverso i secoli
Un esempio: il Museo di Storia della Fisica dell’Università di
Padova
Caratteristiche e potenzialità dei musei universitari europei
Cosa e come comunicare attraverso un Museo di Storia della
Scienza
Master Comunicazione - settembre 2014
Sofia Talas – Museo di Storia della Fisica
Musei scientifici: evoluzione attraverso i secoli
Un esempio: il Museo di Storia della Fisica dell’Università di
Padova
Caratteristiche e potenzialità dei musei universitari europei
Cosa e come comunicare attraverso un Museo di Storia della
Scienza
Master Comunicazione - settembre 2014
Sofia Talas – Museo di Storia della Fisica
Cosa (e come) comunicare al pubblico attraverso
strumenti scientifici?
• Un singolo strumento scientifico “story-teller” (non una ma 1000 storie)
• Mostre e Musei non (solo) su oggetti ma sui processi