Barbara Wenk (Basel / Hamburg), Stipendiatin des Schweizerischen Nationalfonds und Associate am Forschungskolleg "Kulturwissenschaftliche Technikforschung", forscht am Beispiel verschiedener Technikmuseen über die Frage, wie Technik museal präsentiert wird bzw. werden kann.

In der vergangenen Woche hielt sie auf der ECSITE Annual Conference 2005 einen Vortrag mit dem Titel "Making the Invisible Visible... - How to Exhibit Nanotechnology in Another Dimension?" (ESCITE steht für "European Network of Sciences Centers and Museums")

Barbara Wenk: Making the Invisible Visible... - How to Exhibit Nanotechnology in Another Dimension?

"When it comes to exhibiting the cutting-edge Science of Nanotechnology, it is very difficult to rely on the traditional main resource of any Museum of Science and Technology – that is, the collection. How can one exhibit a new technology whose objects are not to be seen with human eyes? How can one exhibit a new technology whose objects so far mainly exist in people´s heads, in research laboratories and which are still in the making?

However, in her talk, Barbara Wenk presented the above situation less as a problem but rather as a chance of finding new ways of exhibiting Nanotechnlogy.

She advocated:
First, to make good use of this still open-ended situation of Nanotechnology as “cutting-edge science”.
Second, to be aware of different kinds of knowledges and experiences and expertise in regard to science and technology in general.
Third, to use the museum as a public institution where different kinds of people meet as platforms which enable and foster public debate about Nanotechnology.
And forth, to use the special expertise of the museum professionals in the mediation of science and technology in the exhibition space to create situations which enhance public awarness of Nanotechnology and the possibilities of public debate.

As a concequence, “Exhibiting Nanotechnology” or “Making the Invisible Visible” wouldn’t stop at thinking about the objects to be used and the ways to present them, but would rather also include another dimension – that is, thinking about possible ways of using the exhibition space for public debate about the possible futures of Nanotechnology – which eventually comes to “Making the Invisible Visible” by public debate."