Full Breakdown
Amsterdam’s “Art Zoo” Museum Turns Visitors into Caged Exhibits
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
The Core Experience
The newly opened Art Zoo museum occupies a 17th-century canal house in Amsterdam. Inside, hundreds of taxidermied animals—including a 12-foot crocodile suspended over the entrance, a Japanese giant spider crab with six-foot legs, and the skeletal remains of a mastodon—are displayed in dramatic, non-natural poses. Dark metal cages line the exhibition rooms, confining human visitors while the preserved creatures appear to roam freely.
02
Artistic Inspiration and History
Co-founders Jaap Sinke and Ferry van Tongeren drew on the historic “wunderkammer” tradition—curiosity cabinets assembled by wealthy Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries. They view the museum as a modern “return of Darwin’s wonder,” even crediting naturalist Charles Darwin as a third collaborator. A wall of sideways-facing Darwin busts underscores this homage. The duo first gained international attention in 2015 when British artist Damien Hirst purchased their entire exhibition at a London art show.
03
Visitor Reactions and Official Comments
Slovak resident Tomáš Vaško described his October visit as “a little creepy.” Sinke added that none of the specimens were taken from the wild; all originated from zoos where the animals died of natural causes, though paperwork can be complex, prompting a focus on European sources.
04
Verbatim Quote
“All our animals come from zoos where they died of natural causes,” — Sinke. Still
05
Data & Statistics
- 12-foot crocodile suspended at the entrance.
- 6-foot-long Japanese spider crab spanning a doorway.
- Mastodon leg bones reaching nearly to the ceiling.
- Hundreds of preserved creatures on display.
- Museum housed in a 17th-century canal-side building.
The Art Zoo blends historical curiosity cabinets with contemporary art, deliberately reversing the usual relationship between humans and animals to create a single, immersive artwork.