When visiting the Pre-Colombian art museum the exhibit about the Andes mountain was where I spent a lot of my time. The exhibits as a whole featured a variety of displays that allowed it to appeal to a variety of visitors. There was a children’s area that was extremely interactive with sensory exhibits and a just dance version of traditional dances. Then there were more traditional display cases with information about artifacts. Then a hallway closed off with transparent fabric with two mirrors that faced each other so the reflection seemed infinite. Then it ended with a space that had footage from a festival projected on layers of thin fabric so that visitors can virtually put themselves in the middle of the action. There was also a reflection booth following where visitors could share their experiences in the form of a 30 second video.
Traditional gallery space with tapestries and artifacts. First in sequence of official (non children’s) gallery spaces.
The installation in the open courtyard was specifically interesting to me. The vibrant colors catch your eye as you walk into the main entrance to the museum. Then when you enter the courtyard they appear to be floating in the space which is completely open to the sky. The colors contrast the relatively simple courtyard which is all very neutral colors. The only other bright color is the bright blue from the sky. The fabric is also the last thing you see as you exit the exhibit. The way you interpret the fabric also changes a lot as you change your perspective because the spacing between them becomes more or less apparent. Sketching this area was an incredibly calming experience because the open ceiling allowed in a gentle breeze and sunlight. There was also a busker playing a violin right outside the museum in the hallway open to the outdoors so the music could be heard from within the courtyard. Sitting in the quiet courtyard on the uneven rock floor with a view of the sky has definitely been one of my favorite moments of the trip so far.
Fabric from the perspective of exiting the exhibit
More frontal view of fabric, similar to when entering space.
Infographic of my personal interpretations of the space.
Hi, Sarah!
There are a few things I enjoyed about your report on Pre-Colombian Art Museum that I didn’t get to notice myself.
For one how the museum accommodates for all visitors. That explains why I didn’t see much kids in the gallery areas because they were up in sensory exhibits! From your perspective through the second floor, I think you forget the most important part, at the end of the projection which is inner corridor that is on the other side of the gallery. I see it as a true civic space for the city through the renovation of traditional galleries that surround the museum and invite in passers-by.
The contrasting of the colors in the courtyards is strikingly distinct but I noticed a difference in feeling of space. I felt as if the covered courtyard was an “artificial version” of the opened courtyard. As if the courtyard was trying to mimic an open space but still wanted it enclosed. In result, the idea of a “light” roof for the enclosed space would be the EPFE material bubble. But it would be sacrificing what you liked about the open courtyard, stones on floor (since its acts like a ground plane from outside), direct sunlight, breeze and acoustic sounds that come from the streets of Santiago, which is a soothing experience, personally!