On Wednesday, 13 November 2024, museum Museon-Omniversum in The Hague celebrated the official opening of three new themed areas. With several lectures and the unveiling of the new entrance hall, the reopening of the remodeled lower floor of the museum was celebrated. Attention was also given to the imminent leave of museum director Peter de Haan.
Museon-Omniversum lets visitors discover how we can develop, design and apply materials that are inspired by nature in a joyful and interactive way. The three new themed areas are:
- The Super Animal Arena about Biomimicry. Get informed and draw inspiration from nature; learn from the superpowers of fungi and animals.
- The Mighty Materials plaza about the circular (bio)economy. Find answers to questions such as: What is waste? How do we ensure that we make minimal use of newly extracted raw materials and produce minimal amounts of waste?
- The Pillars of Hope that shows how we can bring natural materials and man-made materials in greater balance.
These three new areas can be admired at Museon-Omniversum for some years to come. The Mighty Materials plaza is part of the exhibition One Planet NOW! – Smart Solutions for the Future. The exhibition includes ten bio-based materials and ten derived bio-based products, which visitors are challenged to match in a playful way. The backside of the exhibition describes possible uses of the bio-based materials. Some of these materials can be touched or smelled at. Bio-based materials exhibited include, amongst others, mango and orange peel, hemp fibre and mycelium. The bio-based products range from a 3D-printed clock and a teddy bear to a coffin and a bioplastic product. The Mighty Materials plaza thus offers a fascinating insight into the versatile possibilities of biomass in the circular economy.
In the context of the GenB project, consortium partner BTG contributed to the Mighty Materials exhibition in several ways. BTG assisted in the selection of biomass and bio-based products and provided background information on the cultivation, conversion, and applications of various biomass types. This information was then used by the museum to develop text attractive top young readers. BTG developed and piloted, with design support from SunnyConcepts, the Green Chat Quartet, which highlights 12 biomass types and their applications. Seven of these biomass types are showcased in the Mighty Materials exhibition. The quartet also shows two additional bio-based products per biomass type, providing an even better picture of the fascinating world of biomass. The Green Chat Quartet is now available in the Museon-Omniversum museum shop, but be quick, as stock is limited! Interested? Please contact BTG staff at davidis@btgworld.com.