Valdivian Museums

A little late, but better than never.

We went to three different museums in Valdivia. All three in the same area, next to the water. The first was the Museo de Ciencias.

I must say I was a little disappointed at first because there was more history than science in the beginning. It told the story of Germans immigrating to south Chile and began a biography of Rodolfo Amando Philippi, who turns out to be a pretty cool dude. Then there were some neat preserved bugs and such.

Then we moved to the Museo Histórico. I enjoyed this museum a lot. One of my favorite rooms was dedicated to the silver jewelry of the Mapuche Indians. If you know me, you know I love some silver jewelry. These pieces were intricate and artful. Each piece was accompanied with an old photograph and a Mapuche Indian wearing the jewelry. My other favorite room was the display of Javier Mancebo's photography "conjugaciones", of which some happen to be on this blog.

Now, the best for last, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo.

This new museum, set up in a warehouse with large windows and a view of the river, contained the best art exhibit I've seen. I can describe it, and I can show you pictures but I can't give you the feeling I had while I was there.

First, there was a large room with different pieces.

The first display that struck me was 2 paintings and a video in the middle. The video showed the blank canvas, and several live birds with paint on their wings flying around and painting the canvas. While I was conflicted about the use of animals and paint, it was still pretty amazing to see.

After admiring the pieces in this room, we ventured in a dark dungeon in the back of the room (the entrance is visible in the picture above). There were too pitch black tunnels covered in cold musk and old   bricks. At the end of each tunnel, a movie screen was playing a film. The first, a modern rendition of Gone with the Wind alongside the original. The second, a display of rocks and a film of water. It was eerie to walk through alone but absolutely enthralling.

Melanie and I then exited and were excited to find an upstairs room as well. This room had a large amount of different paintings and exhibits from different Chilean and Argentine artists.

I felt a connection with almost every one. On the way out, I found postcards and bought about 6 different ones. I've filled them out and will send them to you all as soon as I find a damn post office in this city!

Melanie and I then found a nice cerverceria with the best beer I've had in Chile yet and discussed our awe of the art exhibit. We both agreed it was pretty much perfect. As was the beer.

All of these photos are courtesy of Melanie Scruggs, whose blog can be found here!

Artfully satisfied for now,
Lauren Adele