NOT YOUR AVERAGE MUSEUM: FASCINATING MUSEUMS ACROSS THE GLOBE

Collections Corner | Jaime Meier

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When I tell people I am a Master of Museum Studies student, they often ask why I chose this particular field and some tell me they "aren't museum people." I have been a museum person since I was a kid, I was lucky enough to have parents who would take my sister and I to see the dinosaurs at the University of Saskatchewan, investigate the Mendel Art Gallery (now the Remai Modern), and travel back in time at the Western Development Museum.  I often wonder if people do not identify with museums because they have not found the right museum for them. An ongoing joke in my program is that "everything is a museum," so I have compiled a list of unique and unexpected museums, which may turn the most resistant museum visitor into a fan.

Messner Mountain Museum - Corones. (Source)

1. Messner Mountain Museum, Italy

If adventure and nature sound more exciting than an enclosed museum, the Messner Mountain Museum is for you! Six stunning mountain locations offer unique hiking experiences and exhibitions, varying from the history of alpinism, mountaineering, and religion. These histories are portrayed alongside paintings, sculptures, castles, and incredible views. The museum also acknowledges mountain peoples across the world, where the mountains are not the inhospitable places we often illustrate them as, but have ensured survival and longevity. 

Museum Brot und Kunst, Germany. (Source)

2. Museum Brot und Kunst, Germany
Tucked away in the German countryside is Museum Brot und Kunst - the Museum of Bread and Art. The museum tackles the association of bread with everyday life, nutrition, and consumption that leads to a wider exploration of international food concerns, demands, and stereotypes. These ideas are complimented by an impressive art collection depicting "the relationship between man and nature, religious and ethical questions of nutrition and allocation, and the role of people in society." Whether you are in it for the bread or the art, this is a museum for everyone with taste.

Museum of Bad Art, United States. (Source)

3. Museum of Bad Art (MOBA), The United States
Have you ever looked at a painting and thought, "I could do that?"Well, at the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA), you probably could have! The mission of the gallery is to celebrate "the labour of artists whose work would be displayed and appreciated in no other forum." Great artists did not start their practice with perfect paintings and the MOBA interprets the ongoing evolution of artistic talent, creating a relatable art experience.

The Museum of Illusions, Canada. (Source)

4. Museum of Illusions, Canada

At museums, it can often feel as though you are having a one-sided conversation with the art pieces, artefact, or object. At the Museum of Illusions, the exhibitions are made to work with and challenge your senses. Whther it be the anti-gravity room, holograms, or optical illusions, you will leave seeing the world in new ways. Other activities, such as the Smart Playroom, are an excellent place to stimulate "cognitive thinking and strategy building skills." A perfect place for people looking for a fully immersive experience.

Museum of Enduring Beauty, Malaysia. (Source)

5. Museum of Enduring Beauty, Malaysia

Western beauty standards are often incorrectly placed at the centre of understandings of beauty. The Museum of Enduring Beauty works to overcome colonial understandings of beauty by demonstrating its international dimensions. Beauty practices include corseting, tattooing, lip stretching, and foot binding. If we are able to understand cultural context behind these practices, whether or not we agree with them, an important conversation is still happening and opens the door to treat all people with humanity. 

These are only a very small sample of the uncommon museums the world has to offer. There are hundreds of others across the world, including the Mustard Museum, the Museum of Broken Relationships, the International Cryptozoology Museum, and many more. If traditional forms of museums and galleries do not appeal to you, there is a museum somewhere that fits your interests.