Today, I highly enjoyed visiting the Pre Columbian Museum. I have always been a big fan of art museums, but this was unlike any other I had traveled to before. I found it very interesting that there were ancient, older exhibits paired alongside newer, modern pieces because I don’t think I’ve really been somewhere that combines modern art with historical works. The interactive and contemporary installments reminded me a lot of the Contemporary Art Museum in Cincinnati as well as the MOMA in NYC, while the ancient relics reminded me of the Cincinnati Art Museum, it was an interesting combination. I could definitely sense the boundaries between the two types of artwork and liked how the North Courtyard and upper levels were informational areas and ancient artwork areas, while the South Courtyard and lower levels were more modern. I found the museum organization and structure pleasing and easy to follow for someone who isn’t anywhere from there. The multiplicity of layers throughout the museum (the exhibit sections, the never ending mirror, layered video installment piece, South Courtyard artwork, etc.) gave me the impression that to this culture, there are many layers that mold it into what it is today, and it is important to direct each chapter, hence the combination of new and old work.
orange, never ending mirror in the Pre Columbian Art Museum
I also noticed similarities to the Contemporary Arts Museum in Cincinnati, specifically in the interactive children’s exhibit. The Pre-Colombian Museum had many eccentric, modern pieces that encouraged viewers to interact with the exhibit, like the arrangement of car mirrors that viewed particular parts of a tapestry, or the Just Dance-style game. These exhibits were geared toward children, but were interesting enough to engage older people as well, which the Contemporary Arts Museum also does successfully. I thought your analysis of this space and how the formal and informal areas divide the exhibit eras was very insightful. Additionally, I think you could argue that the effect of light further divides historic and modern pieces, with the older objects being surrounded by darkness and the more modern being in brighter areas.