Spiders as Our Friends Or Scientific Measurement Principles in Museums

On October 25, 2001 the Courtyard of the Winter Palace was the venue for an unusual event. Kids from the Hermitage Kindergarten met Maman and Spider, two pieces of art by Louise Bourgois, famous American sculptor of the 20th century.

L. Y. Livshits, director of Programs for Children, told the kids about the spider's image in the work of Louise Bourgois. The spider is an insect living next to humans, and its web protects the spider and provides the food. The spider in Bourgois's opinion, reminded one of the mother, its patience, ability to work hard and the skill of the weaver-restorer. In the interview L. Y. Livshits explained: "The goal of this event is to develop the children's creative thinking. We wanted to give the children an opportunity to examine the spider and learn empathy for the mother-spider who has a lot of worries with her kid." The children wove the Love Webs which Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage, promised to send as a gift to Louise Bourgois.

The idea of the wonderful event belongs to V. Y. Matveev, Deputy Director of the Hermitage and the Curator of the Measuring Instruments Collection. Mr Matveev showed the children different ways of measuring items. The results of the measurements were solemnly announced: Maman's volume is 31 kids and 5 adults holding hands, and the height of the statue is equal to 18 steps of the girl named Anya.

The children of the Hermitage Kindergarten attend special programs in World Art and are frequent guests and the Hermitage. This event, however, was the first of its kind for them. The director of the Hermitage observed that no other museum had held any similar events.

Weaving Love Webs

M. B. Piotrovsky Distributing Gifts

V. Y. Matveev Supervises Measurement of Maman's Height

Measuring Maman's volume