Collection - laboratory - theater

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This volume launches an eight-part series on the history of science and media, stemming from the Berlin research project on "Performative Cultures" at the Theatre Studies Department of the Free University. It explores the role of space in shaping knowledge during the early modern period. In the 17th century, "Kunstkammern" (cabinets of art and curiosities), laboratories, and stages emerged as critical tools for research and representation. However, there remains a gap in understanding the epistemic contributions of both material and immaterial spaces in knowledge performance. The authors provide a fresh perspective on the creation of these spatial forms, considering their institutional contexts, historical significance, architectural models, and the scientific implications of design choices. They trace connections between the observer's position in scientific representation and the organization of sight, speech, and action within European theatrical traditions. The volume examines the reciprocal architectural and intellectual influences of knowledge spaces and artistic performance venues, analyzing their potential and limitations. This work is the English translation of Kunstkammer, Laboratorium, Bühne (de Gruyter, Berlin, 2003).