First exhibition since the fire : Revista Pesquisa Fapesp

On January 17, the Brazilian National Museum (MN) opened its first exhibition since the fire that destroyed much of its collection on September 2, 2018. The 160 pieces on display at the exhibit Before everything was ice—new discoveries from the Antarctic offer a glimpse of the day-to-day life of researchers stationed in the Antarctic, what the continent is like today, and what it was like some 90 million years ago when it was farther north and had a warm climate and diverse fauna. Originally planned for last October, the exhibit was postponed due to the fire. It has now been installed in the cultural center of the Brazilian Mint Museum, in the center of Rio de Janeiro. Of the pieces exhibited, eight were recovered from the debris of the National Museum: including fossilized tree trunks, now partially coated in metal from the cabinets in which they were stored. Visitors will be able to see a replica iceberg, tools used by the researchers, and the skull of an Antarctic minke whale. There are also fossils of reptiles, pine cones, and ferns collected by paleontologists during Project Paleoantar, part of the Brazilian Antarctic Program, as well as a reconstruction of a plesiosaurus, an extinct marine reptile. The exhibition runs until May 17. Paleontologist Alexander Kellner, director of the National Museum, is seeking parties interested in taking the exhibition to other cities. “The National Museum lives on,” Kellner said.

Republish