I find the act of categorisation quite intriguing, and the Wunderkammer is a fascinating example. The English translation is 'Wonder- room' but it is also known as the 'Cabinet of curiosities...or Wonders'. Their creation in the C16th stemmed from the European desire to understand the world by categorising the vast variety of objects that surrounded them. There were two broad categories, manmade and natural, that were further split into subjects such as geology and ethnography.
The museum of Francesco Calceolari in Verona, from Ceruti and Chiocco 1662
The Evolution Store in Soho, New York. It offers a contemporary, retail interpretation of a Wunderkammer.
Joseph Cornell 'Untitled' (The Hotel Eden) 1945
Cornell is well known for his 'Wunderkammer' style box assemblages. They house a series of juxtaposed objects that previously existed as precious objects. His technique was associated with the Surrealists.
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