Orchids have driven rational people to crazy extremes for centuries. What makes this flower so irresistible? That’s exactly the question explored by Auckland Museum’s multi-sensory exhibition Wonderland: The Mystery of the Orchid.
Opening in the Special Exhibitions Hall on 3 July, Wonderland embraces cutting-edge technology to bring stories of the orchid to life in vivid detail. Innovations include the latest in multi-touch panels, as well as scent stations, soundscape posts and stereographic 3D goggles.
These innovations are fused with the artistic vision of leading exhibition designer Marion Lyonnais, who created the popular Secrets Revealed.
The concept development for Wonderland was a collaborative effort involving Auckland Museum’s exhibition developers and writers, botany staff and orchid experts from New Zealand and around the world. In the exhibition Susan Orleans, author of The Orchid Thief – which provided the basis for award winning film Adaptation – provides her thoughts on the lure of orchids, while local orchidophiles talk about their obsession. As well as examining the orchid’s inspiration on culture, Wonderland explores the flower’s remarkable science. There are around 22,500 species of orchid, which thrive in almost every habitat on earth.
The exhibition also features a unique retail experience that continues the storytelling and sensory journey, featuring a wide range of gifts visitor can take home.
The Mystery of the Orchid is the first chapter in a two-part exhibition exploring stories of the world’s most popular flowers. The second chapter, Wonderland: The Magic of the Rose, opens in October.
What: Wonderland: The Mystery of the Orchid
When: Opens Friday, 3 July
Where: Special Exhibitions Hall, Auckland Museum
Cost: Adults $8, Members and Concession $6, Children FREE
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