Martin Berndt „About the Art of Preparing Animals“ Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, May 2019
During the WILDLIFE exhibition of the artist couple Sascha and Ingo Maas in the world-famous Alexander Koenig Natural History Museum in Bonn, Martin Berndt took the opportunity to tell numerous visitors in the historical lecture hall „About the Art of Preparing Animals“.
The taxidermist spoke about the history of animal preparation, about key moments in the long history and mentioned famous taxidermists. He illustrated the striking differences between „old“ and „modern“ taxidermy. Using many pictures and examples, he explained how he assembled the masterpiece of a jumping lioness.
Many of the visitors knew little or nothing about the exciting topic of taxidermy and what it means to „breathe life back into a dead animal“. In the course of the one-hour lecture one could read the growing fascination in the eyes of the audience. The open discussion at the end of the lecture showed that people were not only interested in details, but also in the topic in general. Martin Berndt then answered many questions and seemed very happy to be able to share his knowledge with so many listeners. The event was moderated by Simone Standl from WDR Cologne.