The Goethehaus in Weimar accommodates an extensive geological collection consisting of three systematic collections and a greater part of so-called "suites". This term refers to collections arranged geographically or thematically. During his first Italian Journey, Goethe intensively studied the geological and mineral conditions, climbed the active Mount Vesuvius several times and collected at least seven suites. The "Suite of lithic souvenirs" is a fictional eighth suite that does not quite integrate into the geological collection. Here, a collection of souvenirs from the Italian Journey appear as if he intended them for his friend Charlotte von Stein, whose frequent correspondence supposedly ended with his departure. Between fiction and reality, past and future, the souvenirs unite in a poem of things. Human and geological peculiarities and temporalities blur from the ice age through Goethe’s times to the Anthropocene.
Geologische Überkleidungen, Cape des Carrick Coats (Goethe’s Reisemantel) gefüllt mit bei der Domus Aurea gesammelten Steinen, AI- generiertes Foto von Goethe auf den Ruinen des Neuronischen Palastes in Rom, beim sammeln von Steinen / Geological overclothing, cape of the Carrick coat (Goethe’s traveling coat) filled with stones collected at the ruins Domus Aurea, AI-generated photo of Goethe on the ruins of Nero‘s Palace in Rome, collecting stones.
Die Neptunier gegen die Vulkanier, T-Shirts: I love Neptunism&I love Plutonism / Neptunists against Volcanists, T-Shirts: I love Neptunism & I love Plutonism
Venedig hat nichts zu besorgen, Karte über den neptunischen Einfluss auf Venedig / Venice has nothing to worry about, Map of the Neptunian influence on Venice
Appetitliches Totliegendes (Bergbau Begriff; „totes“ liegendes Gestein, das keine Erze enthält), essbare Steinpralinen / Appetizing Totliegendes (mining terminology: dead lying rock, that does not contain ore), edible stone pralines