Curiosity Cabinet

Curiosity Cabinets or Wonder Rooms generally encompass collections or assemblages of natural discoveries and artifacts, human-made necessities, products, and tools, as well as a broad spectrum of ideas, creativity, artistic expressions, and practices. These elements have given rise to showcases, galleries, museums, arts, and even cities.

A Curiosity Cabinet is an effective factor in stimulating the sense of curiosity, which is the foundation and source of ideas for designers and artists. However, in today’s world, curiosity often becomes a weakened faculty, trapped in the swamp of arrogance, apathy, self-importance, and simultaneous inactivity. The absence of mysterious objects and spaces in the era of pervasive super-malls and super-shelves has contributed to the misdirection and relentless suppression of this faculty.

Nevertheless, from the perspective of presenting this concept, a Curiosity Cabinet—regardless of individual interest, attraction, talent, and experience—has a place in various fields such as museum visiting, nature exploration, nature appreciation, history, storytelling, antiques, collecting, art, contemplation of death, and curiosity. It can provide a specific and intermediary basis among the realms of art, product design, architecture, interior architecture, and storytelling. This course is based on this approach.

It is worth noting that the content of this lecture series may include some unsettling and uncomfortable imagery.