We’ve covered teeny tiny book collections, outdoor parks full of mini buildings, the dedicated work of one Siberian artist and even the world’s smallest museum (yes, it’s the size of a closet…now go clean yours to make room for a new exhibit I’m putting together). But what about an art collection so small you’re going to need a new eyeglass prescription. At the Museu De Miniatures in Besalú, Spain artists from around the world have contributed over 5,000 pieces of miniature creations. And I’m not kidding about the eye strain. Unlike some museums where visitors step back to get a full appreciation of the art, here magnifying glasses and microscopes are the norm. The exhibition is divided into three areas where the displays get smaller and smaller as one moves through the space. In “Lilliputian World” itty bitty reproductions of 19th century and early 20th century shops, like pharmacies and hair salons, are 12 times smaller than their real counterparts. There are even scenes from the circus. The second room mostly focuses jewelry, like brooches, which makes sense as the museum was founded by a jeweler. When you get to the last room, “The World of the Micro Miniature,” the items are 100,000 times smaller than reality, measuring about 1 to 2 mm in length, and cannot be seen by the naked eye. If a life goal is to squint at a reproduction of the Eiffel Tower on the top of a poppy seed or an elephant dancing on the point of a needle, then you’ve come to the right place. I hope you don’t leave with a headache.
Museu De Miniatures in Besalú, Spain
