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WUNDERKAMMER OF MINERALS

Wunderkammer is the start of a journey through the lens of curiosity and geology: a grand scale through which I’ve interpreted the mineral world. It’s a world that has fascinated me since the discovery of my first crystal on a beach as a young boy, its structure speaking of patterns and otherworldly possibilities, made physical.

This exhibition is my little love letter to rocks and crystals, echoing my connection with nature, reminding me of the importance of grounding in our physical world. Each mineral is a testament to the shifting landscapes of time. With the physicality of design, I aim to share the joy of creation. Like portals to other worlds, each piece embodies a synergy of nature and human skill.

The WINGS OF PEGASUS lighting series and the SPECIMEN TABLE are not simply objects; they act as silent narrators, telling stories of far-off lands and the mesmerising dance between nature and craftsmanship. The CABINETS are prototypes for a future museum I’d love to build one day.

Transporting ideas across time and space is my big question. I hope I can answer that, through inspiration, through casting new light on the intricate beauty of minerals and their profound influence on our world. May you feel the allure of that first crystal in your hand, opening up another world of possibility, here made physical.

— Christopher Boots

 

“FULL PUBLICATION HERE”

WHAT IS A WUNDERKAMMER?

According to the Oxford Reference, Wunderkammer (German) translates as ‘wonder chamber’. Originally used to describe a room containing a private collection of rare natural history specimens, but above all, curiosities. Contemporary definitions vary and include, ‘a place where a collection of curiosities and rarities is exhibited’ (Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston) or more simply,  ‘cabinet of curiosity’ (Oxford Dictionary).

In entering this Wunderkammer, one steps into the geological narrative of Christopher Boots: a realm of minerals serving as both the genesis and the medium of his creations. It is an invitation to uncover the seldom tread paths of mineral formation, their constitution and distinctive identities.

Presented within these vitrines are a selection of core minerals used in the works of Christopher Boots. Each stone weaves a unique narrative within the objects brought to life by the studio.

Wunderkammer is a sanctuary of imagination, filled to the brim with Boots’ cherished artefacts of minerals, rocks, and crystals. Emerging from the womb of the earth, finding paths into the studio’s tailor-made designs, these minerals illuminate spaces in a most tangible sense.

To fully fathom the preciousness of these minerals is to journey into their background. Through the looking~glass, one navigates the labyrinth of Boots’ Wunderkammer, a cabinet of curiosities brimming with treasures shaped over millennia. An invitation to look at the past, appreciate the present and reimagine the future.