Paleorama – dive in the Triassic

Gaia Codoni, 2014

  • How can we interest the public to a scientific topic in an emotional and original way in a museum?
  • How can we make animals extincted million years ago become credible? / How can we make tangible and absolutely clear that fossilized bones where actually living animals?
  • Which are the new techniques that can be used for didactical aims in the museum context?

Usually, in the paleontological museum is possible to visualize incredible finds and fossils, combined with illustrations or 3D reconstructions. However those extinct animals seems so incredible to the human conception, that is difficult to believe they really existed and to accept that there is a connection between fossilized remains and the reconstruction created by the scientific illustrator. How is then possible to highlight this connection and make the extinct animals believable? The aim of thr master thesis is to answer this fundamental question and create an animation with the 3D projection mapping technique to be projected straight on a rock covered on fossils. This Animation will bring back to life the extinct animals, try to wake up emotions in the observer, spread scientific information in an interesting and original way without neglecting the scientific accuracy. Finally, the projection will be permanently displayed at the Fossils Museum of the Monte San Giorgio in Meride.

Projekttyp: Masterarbeit 2013/14
Student: Gaia Codoni
Mentoring: Commission of the Museum of the Monte San Giorgio, Niklaus Heeb, Fabienne Boldt, Thomas Erdin
Field of Excellence: Kommunikation | Erkenntnis-Visualisierung
Website: www.gaia-gaia.ch

Bild oben: Storyboard der ganzen Animation, realisiert in Kollaboration mit den wissenschaftlichen Mentoren (Bleistift und Photoshop)