New museum in Switzerland | Museum of PostNatural History

problem

Natural history museums have a blind spot: organisms altered by humans usually cannot be found on display anywhere.

need

The manipulation of life is a topical and controversial subject. There is a need for a place to inform, reflect, and discuss over real examples.

solution

Create an independent museum with a permanent exhibition space open to the public. There is no museum in Europe tasked with this mission.

blind spot

In Switzerland, GMOs live in confined environments, so they can never be seen. Conversely, domesticated animals and plants are so common that they are no longer noticed. The MHPN plays a crucial role in studying, collecting, and displaying the blindspot of natural history.

le post naturel

Anchor 1

special collection

Have you ever seen:

· purple tomatoes, enhanced with antioxidants;

· an enginereed mosquito resistant to malaria;

· a breed of sheep with 4 horns;

· or transgenic axolotls?

These specimens exist outside the consensual narrative of natural history. They share the commonality of having been selected, artificially manipulated.

The MHPN constitutes a collection of specimens modified through processes such as domestication, artificial selection, genetic engineering, or synthetic biology.

Transgenic axolotl
Crédit : Marko Pende & Murawala Lab,
MDI Biological Laborator.

transgenic axolotl

The axolotl has become a model organism in scientific research. It is bred and used for studying its regeneration capabilities. It is one of the latest acquisitions of the MHPN.

Upcoming events

The MHPN strives to produce exhibitions even before the official opening in a public establishment.

Currently, we are collaborating with the photographer and artist Cédric Bregnard on a photographic series of postnatural fruits and plants. The photos are taken using medical imaging tools and developed according to a homemade recipe. On the menu of this exhibition, among others: the world's hottest chili pepper, a transgenic purple cherry tomato, hydroponic saffron, or the indispensable coffee!