Museographic Discourse and Socio-Historical Time: Three Latin-American Museums Holding Mexican Pre-Columbian Pieces

Abstract

This article examines the similarities and differences in the way of presenting socio-historical time to the public, between three Latin-American museums presenting holdings of Mexican pre-Columbian artifacts. For the study, it was used and adapted the model of analysis of the museographic experience, developed by Lauro Zavala. The elements contained in his approach were paired with equivalent social times (ritual, educational and ludic). They were proposed another three social times (related to curatorship, referred time, and assimilation). The investigation was of a basic nature; it was used a qualitative approach and comparative method. The data was obtained through photo and videographic surveys, consultation of the descriptive cards and the websites of the museums. It was observed that the museographic discourse is oriented, in one case, to its insertion in a ritual time, of grandiosity and solemn distance taking; in another, to spectacularity and Luddism; in the last, to the transfer of the visitor to an experience of familiarity. The text was concluded by associating the identity claim that each precinct postulates with the moment of its construction, in the respective context of conformation of the National States where said museums are located.