Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
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The first biocluster in Russia has opened at VDNKh — a project of the Timiryazev State Biological Museum. Researcher of the museum's scientific and exhibition department Danial Yurkevich and head of the public relations department Alexandra Belyaeva told us what served as the starting point of the project, how it will develop and what exhibits can be seen right now.
Living and nonliving
The first site of the biocluster was pavilion No. 29 "Floriculture and landscaping". Now there is an exhibition "Morphogenesis. Third nature", where contemporary art is intertwined with the world of living nature. Dmitry Kawarga, Oleg Makarov, Aristarkh Chernyshev and Olga Bozhko provided their works for it.
Each terrarium is a unique world, which the museum has populated with various living creatures. The authors did not explain what kind of plot this or that work reveals, allowing the viewer to come up with their own association or even a whole story.
One of my favorite installations gives me the creeps. Quite a dark picture: skulls made with 3D printing, and fiery Madagascar cockroaches crawling on them. Everyone knows the expression about cockroaches in the head, which means that every person has their own oddities. I think this work perfectly illustrates it. Danial Yurkevich Researcher, Scientific and Exhibition Department, Timiryazev State Biological Museum
In the adjacent terrarium, an Indian tiger tarantula is spinning its web. Thanks to it, the plastic sculpture with silicone elements dripping down, as if growing from underground, looks quite alien – and therefore attractive.
“It’s a smooth transition from something anthropogenic, created by man, to something more natural, created by wild nature,” added Danial Yurkevich. “We’re interested in what it will look like when there are even more webs.”
A certain science fiction plot unfolds in the terrarium with trilobite beetles. They boldly explore a 3D-printed spaceship and seem to be studying mini-astronauts who crashed on an alien planet. "The beetles look like huge monsters compared to the little people, but in fact they are extremely peaceful creatures and do not pose any danger to us," emphasized Danial Yurkevich.
Another story about a spaceship crash is embodied with the help of other insects — the spectacular Congolese bordered bronze beetles. Here Dmitry Kawarga decided to add a bit of drama and left one of the mini-astronauts hanging on parachute straps. Initially, the ship was supposed to stand on the ground, but then the artist included wooden elements in the installation, which the ship got caught on. The insects loved both wood and plastic equally.
Another terrarium is inhabited by Indonesian stick insects. In combination with the elongated sculptures they share, the insects do not seem to be alive, they are easily mistaken for branches. Thus, they become one with the structure, which looks like a bizarre mechanism: it is made entirely of wood, but the paint in some places turns it into metal.
Plants, sculptures, interactive
In addition to terrariums, the exhibition also features larger exhibits — biomorphic sculptures. They could easily decorate a post-apocalyptic world: destroyed transport, disjointed metal structures.
They are installed surrounded by exotic plants, of which there are more than a thousand. They were provided not only by the Timiryazev State Biological Museum, but also by its friends — the Tsitsin State Biological Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve. Guests can see aglaonemas, cycads, philodendrons, dracaenas and much more.
The exhibition is complemented by a spatial sound composition by Oleg Makarov. "Soundflowers" is a sound abstraction inspired by the processes of flowering – from buds to fruit ovaries. Time flows much faster in sound flowers than in biological ones: flowering can take place in just a few seconds. Such speed gives listeners the opportunity to hear dozens of different soundflowers during their visit.
The program also includes film screenings, lectures, and family master classes, where anyone can learn, for example, how to cook “soil porridge.”
Our scientific programs are the legacy of the museum's historical traditions, rethought in line with modern trends. We open the way for visitors to new knowledge and ideas about life and nature. Alexandra Belyaeva, Head of Public Relations, K.A. Timiryazev State Biological Museum
The exhibition "Morphogenesis. Third Nature" is temporary and will run until November 2025. After that, the pavilion will undergo a major re-exposition, which will result in a permanent exhibition opening here.
Other sites
During the year, four more biocluster sites will be created at VDNKh. Its center will be pavilion No. 312 — all aspects of biology will be discussed here. It is currently in the process of development.
Pavilion No. 28 "Beekeeping" will be dedicated to the life of insects. The country's first entomological laboratory will be open here – guests will be able to test all the knowledge they have acquired in practice: the latest equipment will be available to them for this purpose. In Pavilion No. 17, the "World of Dinosaurs" will be recreated – for those interested in prehistoric lizards and the natural landscapes of the Mesozoic era.
In addition, pavilion No. 31 "Geology" will also become part of the biocluster. In 2022, the exhibition "12 Signs of Life" opened there, which began the development of the museum's new strategy.
Online tour of pavilion No. 31 "Geology" at VDNKhFor Environmental Education Day: Where at VDNKh you can get to know the natural world
"By creating a biocluster, we set you the task of not only opening a new pavilion or exhibition, but also allowing you to look at modern biology from a different perspective. In each pavilion, visitors will be able to see a modern scientific and educational exhibition dedicated to a specific section of biology. For each point of the biocluster, we have prepared unique programs and excursions," emphasized Alexandra Belyaeva.
An audio guide and a mobile application are also being developed specifically for the biocluster – with their help, guests will find it easier to navigate and gain new knowledge.
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