"Our collections belong to you, too": an analysis of the exhibition Objects of Wonder of National Museum of Natural History/"Nossas colecoes pertencem a voces tambem": uma analise da exposicao Objects of Wonder do National Museum of Natural History

Who are the museums made for? This question causes great debates within civil society, but how do museums approach this topic? Museums were created to be visited, to communicate something to the public, and to be a place of experience exchange. Not only do they promote research and preservation activities, but also communicate the knowledge generated by scientific research. The numerous researches carried out in museums contribute to develop human knowledge, but what would be the real scope of this knowledge? Would it remain contained within the walls of the museums and the universities? Thinking of this scope, we bring the exhibition Objects of Wonder to the National Museum of Natural History, in Washington DC. Open for in-person visits in 2017, this exhibition aims to discuss with the visitor the origin and the uses of the objects that are part of the collections under the museum's custody. By using thematic showcases, the exhibition introduces the visitor to the different departments of the museum and discusses the process of knowledge generation by its collections. This article analyzes this exhibition, from its structure to the discourses involved, with special emphasis on the communicational function of museums.