Tuesday, 22 February 2011

- THE CHILDHOOD MUSEUM - What an adventure!

The Childhood museum is one of the best museums I have been to in a long time- I classify it in the same league as the natural history museum in oxford that I adore.

As I arrived inside all I could see were children running about and mothers trying to catch up with them. So many inquisitive children picking up and playing with odd looking objects. In the entrance were a collection of book art style  pieces that were deeply inspiring. Inside  there was more mayhem but  what should one expect in a childhood museum!?  
The rest of the museum was deeply moving; as I passed doll houses, soft toys and interactive installations I couldn't help wanting to see all of it through the eyes of  my younger self.  I imagined how a space like this would feel to a child ; how exciting it would be to see a giant doll house, 10 times as big as your barbie house at home! Nevertheless, being my older self did not prevent me from  saying oooooowwww, and wooooowwwww every five seconds. 

The museum was rich with objects and imagery that allowed my imagination to thrive .... My fantasy for that day was particularly vivid. I watched the children and how they seemed in a hypnotic  trance as spinned moving image lamps or the smiles on their faces as they rode on wooden horses.
This goes to show that the imagination of a child is a precious powerful thing ; old fashioned toys were were perfect for this however nowadays video games and other sorts leave no room for fantasies ; the  imagining part has already been done and served on a plate for the child to swallow.

Bearing in mind my project I was very interested in some of the objects that represented fantasies; some where scenes that had become boxes inside a miniature theater.

I think I do not realise yet to what extent this visit has inspired me and so I will continue to comment on this experience at a later date, I'm sure.

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