Musée Patamécanique facts for kids
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| Established | 2006 |
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| Type | Private |
| Founder | Neil Barden Salley |
The Musée Patamécanique is a special private museum in Bristol, Rhode Island. It was started in 2006 by Neil Barden Salley. This museum is like a mix of a robot theater and a cabinet of curiosities. It shows art and ideas from something called Patamechanics. This is an art style inspired by 'Pataphysics, which is a playful way of looking at science and philosophy. The museum is usually open only by appointment for friends and people who work with the founder.
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Museum History
The Musée Patamécanique was created by Neil Barden Salley in 2006. He is an artist, inventor, and filmmaker. While studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, Salley began making performances and mechanical sculptures. These early works became the first pieces for his museum.
Early Exhibitions
The museum first opened as an exhibit in a barn. This barn was located behind Linden Place, a historic house built in 1810. In 2009, the exhibit closed. The barn was then restored and later became the Bristol Art Museum.
Reopening and Expansion
Work on a larger Musée Patamécanique started in 2009. It was finished in 2013. The museum officially reopened for tours on April 1, 2014. Daren Elsa NiBelly became its curator.
What is Patamechanics?
The name "Musée Patamécanique" means "The museum of Patamechanics" in French. Neil Salley created the word "Patamechanics" during his time at the Rhode Island School of Design. It comes from the term 'Pataphysics. According to the museum's website, Patamechanics looks at how physical things behave. It studies what happens when these things are affected by 'Pataphysical forces. It also explores how these things then affect their surroundings.
Museum Exhibits
Many of the items in the Musée Patamécanique are connected to art movements like Dada and Theatre of the Absurd. They also relate to modern literature, unique buildings, and ideas about memory. The exhibits explore identity, robots, how we copy things, and how we see the world.
Exploring the Museum
The newer version of the museum includes tours of both outdoor and indoor areas. These are all within a six-block area in downtown Bristol. The tour starts with a walking sound tour at sunset. This walk leads visitors to the "secret" indoor location. This building is called Patamechanics Hall. Neil Salley built it, and it is an example of unique architecture.
Unique Collections
The Musée Patamécanique features artistic, pretend-scientific, and unusual exhibits. Many of these are shown in Patamechanics Hall. This hall is like a walk-in cabinet of curiosity. Some examples of the exhibits include:
- A group of singing robot chipmunks, which Salley created with his father.
- A "time machine" that the museum says is the world's largest automated phenakistascope. A phenakistascope is an early animation device.
- A clock that tells time using smells.
- A chandelier with singing robot nightingales.
- An Undigestulator, which is a machine that supposedly puts digested food back together.
- The Earolin, a 24-inch tall holographic ear that plays the violin.
- A machine designed to capture the dreams of bumblebees.
See also
- List of museums in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island School of Design Museum
- Museum of Jurassic Technology
