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