MUSEUM OF COPULATORY ORGANS (MoCO)

Located in Cockatoo Island, Biennale of Sydney 2012.
Museology by Gary Warner, Videography by Ross Rudesch Harley, Microscopy, Sue Linsday, 3D modelling Matt Booth.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MUSEUM

"The word ‘museum’ was essential, as it instantly defined the project, locating it in the lineage of cultural and natural history I wanted to be associated with. As an artist, I had previously created an artwork/cultural institution that enjoyed great success (a circus, with real live performing fleas). It seemed obvious to me that the museum as institution and framework for my physical artworks (sculptures, videos, drawings, photos, and prints) provided an extremely fertile ground to explore.

In order to better understand the objects of art and science, one needs to understand their contexts; and in order to innovate, one needs to experiment with contexts and frameworks for the effective communication of original ideas that can be expressed through objects and other aesthetic components. The concept and the ‘template’ of the museum provided me with the first and most fundamental elements of the context I needed.

My research involves an investigation into several different traditions: not just museums and collections, but also the traditions that have sometimes connected and sometimes divided art and science. I have also investigated the history of three-dimensional (physical) scientific models, and the knowledge to do with animal genitalia and sexual selection. In order to synthesise and communicate any knowledge I have generated during my research as effectively as possible, I had to understand the history (as well as the most up-to-date innovations) relating to museological display. For this reason, I also explored new technologies and several different modes of representation to convey an aesthetic experience of my subject area as well as the science behind the art works included in the displayed collections". P. 29

Cardoso, Maria Fernanda. “The Aesthetics of Reproductive Morphologies”. (PhD diss., The University of Sydney, 2012).