CH25: Alex Kalman
Mmuseumm is a tiny museum in Manhattan that’s redefining galleries
On the surface, Alex Kalman might seem like an unlikely candidate for the CH25 list of those designing the future. Mmuseumm, the Lilliputian “modern natural history museum” that he co-founded in 2012—with exhibits like potato-chip bags from around the world and moss—appears to be little more than an eccentric pet project. Looking a little deeper however, reveals that the concept disrupts museums themselves and has bigger implications for how we humanize ideas, in particular with the role of technology in our lives.
Citing an interest in language as a driving force, Alex describes how Mmuseumm draws on the traditional language of a museum. As a design element, it invites people in by giving them a structure to understand the context, in spite of the 36-square-foot gallery’s location in a Manhattan alleyway.
See more of the little museum that could by checking out the CH25 profile.
Illustration by Jason Ratliff, images courtesy of Mmuseumm
