Ephraim and Sadie Hatfield’s “Gigibòsgoshgoshmuxqüdòh: An Interactive Curiosity Cabinet”. (Chicken Pig Bear Deer) was an interactive curiosity cabinet created for the exhibition “Curiosity” at Kidspace at MASS MoCA, produced by Greylock Arts. The objects contained inside the cabinet were collected by our great relative, Farnsworth Hatfield, who once tracked a mythical beast native to the Berkshires. Farnsworth Hatfield came to the region for his business, Hatfield Tonics & Tinctures, in the autumn of 1893 when he met the mysterious creature who stuck his head inside his wagon late one night. He then dedicated his life to uncovering the mysteries of the Gigibòsgoshgoshmuxqüdòh (Chicken Pig Bear Deer).
The cabinet contained jars filled with objects such as feathers, brains, antlers and eyes. When visitors opened the cabinet doors the objects contained inside rotated upon their pedestals. Next to the cabinet was Farnsworth Hatfield’s journal, a pop-up book, that tells the story of his encounter and contains three dimensional renderings of the beast.
“Curiosity” was on view from June 2012 through May 2013.
Marianne R. Petit 