We eventually did it. We have built a Wunderkammer. Me and Ferdinando. Filled with what we love the most. Its story begins with a metaphor: a brilliant image that has deeply inspired our work. A work that will also be available in Italian bookstores, starting from next April. But let’s start from the very beginning.

“What makes you optimistic – and why?”

Every year, the website edge addresses a Great Question to some of the world’s most influential intellectuals. In 2007 the question was centered on Optimism: what aspect of the world makes you optimistic?

Dealing professionally with Awe and Wonder, our favorite answer is the one given by David Pescovitz, optimistic because

we are realizing that the world is a Wunderkammer. (1) 

The German word refers to “cabinets of curiosities”, places where – since the sixteenth century – curious, unusual and mysterious objects are collected. Ancestors of modern museums, even today (2)  Wunderkammers stimulate the sense of wonder by surprise, the taste of mystery and the fascination for the bizarre.

Comparing the world to a “cabinet of curiosities” – and considering this a reason for joy – David stressed the surprising aspects that reveal themselves to those who are able to look at reality with the right eyes. For many years David has been highlighting the wonderful sides of life on Boing Boing – the blog he has co-created, counting more than 3 million unique visitors per month. Boing Boing constantly updates its “directory of wonderful things” – a collection of the most unusual, bizarre and amazing things of the world.

Let’s create a Wunderkammer!

The metaphor proposed by David sounded terrific. Together with the “magic experience designer” Ferdinando Buscema we decided to build a “cabinet of curiosities” containing some of the things we have collected over the past eight years of close collaboration. Identified the place of thought where to set our Wunderkammer, we have designed its structure and furnished its rooms with obsessive meticulousness. Once built, we designed a Catalog – in our opinion, the best way to welcome our guests, enhance its exhibits and allow visitors to immerse themselves in that Sense of Wonder that sparked our activities many years ago.

The task has been challenging and time consuming, but we made it. Here is how our cabinet appears to the visitor from the outside:

View of the West facade of the building hosting the Wunderkammer.

Its nine thematic rooms are full of magical, bizarre and unusual stories. Here is the floor plan and the path throught its rooms:

Plan of the Wunderkammer.

The prestigious Italian publisher Sperling & Kupfer has shown interest in the project and decided to publish the Catalog.

Goes without saying, the very first guest of our “cabinet of curiosities” has been David Pescovitz – who commented:

Buscema and Tomatis are modern day mystics who move seamlessly between the realms of science, art, and magic, seeking wonder at every turn. They delight in inspiring us all to cultivate curiosity and embrace astonishment in our daily lives. This brilliant book is an empowering grimoire for hacking reality and giving the gift of magical experiences to others.

Stay tuned for the forthcoming English edition of the Catalog: we promise it will be an unforgettable ride!

David’s photo credit: “Ransom & Mitchell”

Notes