Puppetry 4.0 – Museum without Walls in Vermont

“This imaginary museum seduces. We are pulled along on a playful-atmospheric worldtrip through puppet theatre.“ – Double. Magazin für Puppen-, Figuren- und Objekttheater

Presented in the context of the annual Puppets in the Green Mountains festival, the German Forum for Puppetry Arts brings the diverse world of puppet theatre to life in an interactive exhibition: equipped with virtual reality headsets, visitors of “Puppets 4.0 – Museum without walls” immerse themselves in five digital rooms and learn about Fritz Wortelmann’s puppet collection.

The former founder of the German Institute for Puppetry is part of the virtual exhibition himself: as an animated figure, he provides useful information and introduces visitors to the virtual environment. Visitors learn interesting facts about the history, development and forms of puppetry and experience fascinating exhibits from different countries in action.

What to expect?
A virtual curtain falls: Welcome to the forest! You meet puppets from Fritz Wortelmann’s lifetime here. Starting with his own hand puppet theatre, followed bythe propaganda puppet theatre of the Nazi era and ending with the artisticallydesigned hand puppets of Lore Lafin, which are experimental and far ahead of their time.

Next, the path leads from nature to the city: In the second room, visitors find themselves amidst a medieval market. Here they learn about the different ways inwhich the comic figure is played all over Europe. Kasper and his international relativesfrom Italy, England and Turkey invite visitors to linger and enjoy the atmosphere.

Under a starry night sky in the third room, visitors stroll through an Indonesian bazaar in front of a temple. Here they learn all about wayang, the traditional shadow, puppet and mask play of Indonesia.

The fourth room continues with a visit to a temple. The sacred atmosphere underlines the importance of religious contexts for numerous puppetry traditions of Japan, Chinaand Myanmar. At the same time, a spiritual dimension is opened which contrasts with the previous rooms and exhibits.

The last room is in the research center of the German Forum for Puppetry Arts in Bochum, to familiarize visitors with our institution and gradually return to the real world. But before they do, they can meet here the spectacular shadow figures of the Australian artist Richard Bradshaw, or the knights of the Sicilian Opera dei Pupi.

The project is supported by the Bundesbeauftragte für Kultur und Medien and the City ofBochum.The English version was made possible thanks to the support of Kultur.Gemeinschaften acollaborative funding strategy by Bundesbeauftragte für Kultur und Medien, Neustart Kulturand Kulturstiftung der Länder.

Presentation at Puppets in the Green Mountains Festival is made possible by The Goethe-Institut Boston and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany based in Boston. Puppetry 4.0 is presented in partnership with the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.