Curious artifacts in the spotlight at the Musée de la Côte-Nord
The Musée transported its curious visitors into a strange and fascinating world with its exhibition Are You Curious?, which grabbed the public’s attention from February 12th to June 5th, 2022. Through a selection of strange objects, intriguing artwork and surprising artifacts, the exhibition invited curious visitors to explore the hidden history behind these treasures of the past.
The strange and the mysterious at the heart of the exhibition
Steve Dubreuil, researcher and curator at the Musée, designed this exhibition around the strange and unusual nature of the artifacts on display. From the museum’s enormous vaults, some rarely featured artifacts were selected, especially artifacts that are sometimes seen as “less aesthetically pleasing” but have fascinating stories.
“All museums have artifacts that raise questions. We’re no exception to that rule. […] Those artifacts, while strange, always have hidden backstories. This was a perfect opportunity to share those stories.”
— Steve Dubreuil, curator at the Musée de la Côte-Nord.
An interactive experience for visitors
The exhibition was not only about observation. Visitors were invited to take part in a captivating game of riddles: with an answer sheet in hand, they had to match clues to 40 artifacts and artworks on display. This game offered a fun and engaging way to discover the history behind those artifacts.
Echoing personal collections
The exhibition also looked at why people collect certain objects. By highlighting artifacts that belonged to individuals, it invited visitors to reflect on their own treasures and the stories they hold.
“The artifacts were once in the possession of certain people. They were part of individuals’ collections, and we wanted to spark that curiosity within our visitors.”
– Joanie Jacques, managing director of the Musée.
Mini-museums to increase the exhibition’s reach
To prolong the experience, the Musée de la Côte-Nord launched an innovative project involving travelling mini-museums. Thanks to a $4,600 grant, these travelling exhibitions have been deployed to all corners of Sept-Îles during the summer of 2022, offering a broader audience the opportunity to discover these treasures of the past.
An exhibition that left its mark
Are You Curious? caught visitors’ interest thanks to its original, interactive and immersive approach. If you’re passionate about history and mystery, keep an eye out for the Musée’s future initiatives. Who knows what new surprises await curious people in an upcoming exhibition?
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