Elephants, Cuckoos, Horses, and Me. A Different Exhibition About Toys

Abstract

"Elephants, Cuckoos, Horses, and Me (Elefanți, cuci, cai și eu) is an exhibit made in Romania in 2017 to draw attention to the absence of a children’s museum in the country. This article is a subjective account of the creation and development of this exhibition, written by two of its curators. It aims to give an example of curatorial and educational museum practices involving the young public’s interaction with artefacts in exhibitions or museums. The Iosif Herțea toy collection was donated recently to the Romanian non-governmental organization Asociația Da’ De Ce (I Wonder Why? Association). The result was an exhibition of original artefacts dedicated to children and their careers. The article traces the evolution of the exhibition concept: adapting the design and wayfinding to different locations; addressing different categories of public; and adding or subtracting artefacts and stories. The exhibition Elephants, Cuckoos, Horses, and Me was displayed in Romania in three different cultural spaces for six months in 2017 and visited by almost 4000 children and adults."