Naturalis: The forest of Suriname design by Harm Rensink and Judith Muijs

For the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, we created an exhibition about the forest of Suriname. Visitors wander through an impressive forest, designed by Harm Rensink in collaboration with Judith Muijs, where the soul of the Surinamese rainforest can be experienced with all the senses. Among the trees, visitors discover remarkable objects from the collection, supported by a mix of analog and digital interactive games that invite them to explore and investigate for themselves.

The heart of the exhibition is formed by the kankantri—a sacred tree that can grow up to 70 meters tall in the Surinamese rainforest and is recognizable by its enormous buttress roots.
For this installation, we produced a lifelike interpretation based on an existing tree from the Surinamese forest. The tree is built from a plywood framework, covered with fabric, treated with a hardening agent, and fully decorated by hand.

Display cases are also integrated into the other trees within the exhibition, presenting special objects from the collection. These elements are finished with a fiber veneer panel made from 100% natural materials, largely produced from mowing residues originating from Nationaal Park Weerribben-Wieden.

It was busy in the sewing workshop: our upholsterers processed hundreds of square meters of fabric into trees and hanging panels. From the leftover material, we produced cushions for the auditorium of Naturalis.

in collaboration with
design: Harm Rensink and Judith Muijs
animation: Shosho
AV: AtaTech
Photography:
Naturalis/Mike Bink
Yvonne Witte