Virtual Design Festival

Ouroboros by Museu Nacional for VDF x Ventura Projects

Museu Nacional uses 3D-printing to recreate lost artefacts

Brazil's Museu Nacional is exhibiting its efforts to recreate ancient artefacts as part of VDF's collaboration with Ventura Projects.

Exhibitor: Museu Nacional
Project title: Ouroboros

Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro is the oldest scientific institution in Brazil. In 2018 it was devastated by a huge fire that destroyed more than 90 per cent of its archive.

Almost two years after the fire, a group of designers and artists are now joining forces to restore the museum's collection using 3D scans of the artefacts and digital fabrication techniques like 3D printing.

The project is called Ouroboros, and is being exhibited as part of VDF's collaboration with Ventura Projects. Many of the artefacts have been recreated using the ashes of the former collection and building.

Ouroboros also invites discussion about how digital media is used in the preservation of memory, and ethical issues surrounding it.

Main image is by Santiago Accini Sotomayor and thumbnail is by Jorge Lopes dos Santos.

Website: wikifactory.com/+lostfinds/stories/help-us-bring-an-artefact-of-brazils-fire-ravaged-museu-nacional-back-to-life
Email address: [email protected]


Virtual Design Festival is the world's first online design festival, taking place from 15 April to 30 June 2020.

Ventura Projects are exhibitions curated by Utrecht- and Milan-based Organisation in Design that cover the latest developments in contemporary design.

As part of VDF, Ventura Projects is presenting the work of 88 international designers, academies and brands. See work from all the VDF x Ventura Projects participants at dezeen.com/vdf/ventura-projects.