JAN 23rd 2015 - JUN 14th 2015
Free

 

INTERCROSSED VIEWS IN USP’S MUSEUMS: DIVERSE IDENTITIES

Calculadora Logos 270, Olivetti, Guarulhos-SP, 1974

Intercrossed views in USP’s museums: diverse identitites

The celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the University of São Paulo are marked by reflection. It makes us think about everything that has been done, the paths that have been chosen, as well as the results obtained. By making a comprehensive evaluation of everything that has been achieved and of the University we have today, we prepare ourselves to make the decisions and adopt strategies aiming at bringing the University up to date so that it will continue to be a keyinstitution in the future. When examining closely the institutional configuration in this early 21st century, it is crucial to bring together fields of knowledge that had been working separately and encourage their interaction. Due to the museums’ close contact with the larger public, interdisciplinarity and communication are particularly important to them. Therefore, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the University of São Paulo, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, the Museum of Zoology and the Paulista Museum – which are all part of USP – establish a dialogue to hold a joint exhibition. Since they are similar in their roles as museums, but different in their fields of knowledge, the exhibition is based on the idea of Identity/Diversity. How to define identities? Is it according to what we are or according to our difference from what we are not? The four USP museums propose to reflect on these issues by means of an exhibit. This exhibit is presented as a convergence of paths that lead to different cultural and scientific approaches. Works, objects, specimens that comprise the collections of each one of the four Museums were selected and articulated to offer different views on various identities.

Chronology

1886 - Creation of the Geographic and Geologic Commission of the Province of São Paulo
1893 - Creation of the Paulista Museum, separated from the Geographic and Geologic Commission
1895 - Opening of the Paulista Museum
1923 - Opening of the “Convenção de Itu” Republican Museum, a branch of the Paulista Museum in Itu/SP.
1934 - Creation of the University of São Paulo, having the Paulista Museum among one of its complementary institutes.
1935 - Creation of the Museum of Ethnography of the Faculty of Philosophy, Language and Literature and Human Sciences of USP (Plínio Ayrosa Collection).
1939 - Creation of the Department of Zoology of the State of São Paulo (Museum of Zoology), with staff and collections coming from the Paulista Museum.
1962 - Creation of the Institute of Prehistory of USP.
1963 - Full addition of the Paulista Museum to USP.
1963 - Creation of the Museum of Contemporary Art of USP.
1964 - Creation of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of USP.
1969 - Full addition of the Zoology Museum to USP.
1989 - Creation of the new Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, combining the archaeological and ethnographic collections from the former Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, from the Institute of Prehistory, from the Paulista Museum and from the Plinio Ayrosa Collection of FFLCH/USP.






© 2015 Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo