Martina Steckholzer, JOKO. A memory game that reveals the diversity of our animal world., 2025

Artist Martina Steckholzer has reinterpreted a selection of animals from the collection of the Natural History Museum in Vienna through watercolor, painting each of them twice. In this memory game, we are not only challenged to find the matching pairs, but also to discover the uniqueness of each animal in its diversity.

The game takes both children and adults on a journey through water, air, forests, and meadows, introducing some of the inhabitants of our planet—perhaps already forgotten.

For Les Cerises, she created 52 different memory cards, embracing the imperfection of nature. Through the use of color, water, and painterly gesture, she brings new life to the animals of the Natural History Museum of Vienna’s collection, capturing the endless nuances of the animal world.