Best murals / mosaics at zoos

[Batto]

Elephant and mammoth mosaic, Berlin zoo, Germany :

This particular mosaic is located in the pachyderm house of Tierpark Berlin, not Zoo Berlin.

 

[Rayane]

The Tierpark Berlin one is awesome, I hope they'll keep it in the renovated house.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Last time I checked Werribee Open Range Zoo is still in Australia

My bad, will change

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

This particular mosaic is located in the pachyderm house of Tierpark Berlin, not Zoo Berlin.

Sorry about that Batto , my bad

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Bird mural at Hanwell zoo, UK:

Amur leopard mural at Colchester zoo, UK:

Photo credits to @Crowthorne, @GillP

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

An interesting mongabay article on art and its value for conservation :

Bringing color to conservation: a conversation with wildlife artist Morgan Richardson

 

[Jurek7]

Background walls in the aviary in Warsaw zoo were painted by a late wildlife artist Krystyna Rogaczewska. At first they do not look much, but the skill of the artist shows: where you are looking at birds in the aviaries, and your eyes are slightly out of focus, the blurred background becomes a landscape with a sense of depth.

In a different style, there is a skilled animal artist who works for Berlin Tierpark, and produced many naturalistic and beautiful plates in the zoo. And also many covers of guidebooks of the Tierpark Berlin.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Background walls in the aviary in Warsaw zoo were painted by a late wildlife artist Krystyna Rogaczewska. At first they do not look much, but the skill of the artist shows: where you are looking at birds in the aviaries, and your eyes are slightly out of focus, the blurred background becomes a landscape with a sense of depth.

In a different style, there is a skilled animal artist who works for Berlin Tierpark, and produced many naturalistic and beautiful plates in the zoo. And also many covers of guidebooks of the Tierpark Berlin.

Thanks for sharing @Jurek7 , this is really interesting !

You know I am really fascinated by this kind of background painting and the way it is so effectively used in museum dioramas to give that illusion of space or continuity of habitat.

 

[Batto]

there is a skilled animal artist who works for Berlin Tierpark, and produced many naturalistic and beautiful plates in the zoo. And also many covers of guidebooks of the Tierpark Berlin.

I met him in person. The current director is not interested in continuing the collaboration.

 

[Jurek7]

I met him in person. The current director is not interested in continuing the collaboration.

Pity. I remember some of his paintings better than zoo exhibits themselves.

 

[Zooplantman]

Adding to the theme of amazing murals as the backdrop to some indoor enclosures: The work of artist Dave Rock is especially important for extending the habitat immersion effect beyond the actual physical confines as seen here at the Bronx Zoo:

Uploaded By:AmbikaFan

Uploaded By:TinoPup

Uploaded By: gulogulogulo

Uploaded By: gulogulogulo

 

[birdsandbats]

Another place to find amazing murals is the backdrop to some indoor enclosures. The work of artist Dave Rock is especially important for extending the habitat immersion effect beyond the actual physical confines as seen here at the Bronx Zoo:

Uploaded By:AmbikaFan

Uploaded By:TinoPup

Uploaded By: gulogulogulo

Uploaded By: gulogulogulo

It took me a while to realize that first one was a painting!

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Adding to the theme of amazing murals as the backdrop to some indoor enclosures: The work of artist Dave Rock is especially important for extending the habitat immersion effect beyond the actual physical confines as seen here at the Bronx Zoo:

Uploaded By:AmbikaFan

Uploaded By:TinoPup

Uploaded By: gulogulogulo

Uploaded By: gulogulogulo

These are really incredible backgrounds indeed and are exactly the kind that I was referring to in terms of similarity to the AMNH dioramas.

The Kea one is incredible and really does give the impression of being on some kind of rocky outcrop of a NZ mountain.

The background in the first picture is also amazing with that misty backdrop and deforestation but to have a little more context, those are Imperial pigeons aren't they ? so the backdrop would be a scene from Papua New Guinea ?

 

[chaotic_froggie]

I don’t have picture proof for either of these, but there are multiple murals on the underside of the tunnel at ZSL London, and a behind-the-scenes one that I saw at Port Lympne in the manor house.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I don’t have picture proof for either of these, but there are multiple murals on the underside of the tunnel at ZSL London, and a behind-the-scenes one that I saw at Port Lympne in the manor house.

Yes, I remember some of those in the tunnel at ZSL , some of them are a bit faded and look like they could be repainted.

If I remember correctly some are based on prehistoric cave paintings of bison and horses right ?

 

[Zooplantman]

The background in the first picture is also amazing with that misty backdrop and deforestation but to have a little more context, those are Imperial pigeons aren't they ? so the backdrop would be a scene from Papua New Guinea ?

I don't know when this was painted but it is entirely possible the bird species has changed since then

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I don't know when this was painted but it is entirely possible the bird species has changed since then

@Zooplantman trying to contact you via PM but unsuccessfully

 

[chaotic_froggie]

Yes, I remember some of those in the tunnel at ZSL , some of them are a bit faded and look like they could be repainted.

If I remember correctly some are based on prehistoric cave paintings of bison and horses right ?

From memory, the tunnel next to the africa section has the cave paintings and the other has mosaic-style modern paintings and a row of information boards about the history of ZSL.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

From memory, the tunnel next to the africa section has the cave paintings and the other has mosaic-style modern paintings and a row of information boards about the history of ZSL.

Shame about how faded the cave paintings are as I really like the concept of it showcasing that ancient psychological connection to animals that we have.

Yes, sort of remember the other mural at the end of the area with the Asian short clawed otters / lemurs / clore pavilion right ?

 

[GiratinaIsGod]

Wall Art at and in the Aquarium in the Allwetterzoo Münster