Installation

The Memories of Things

Galerie im Alten Wiehrebahnhof

Thomas Isler
Brazil, Switzerland 2013 | 22 Min.

Muse­ums are at the inter­sec­tion of public and pri­vate com­mem­o­ra­tive cul­ture. Their col­lec­tions are not only the sub­ject of debates regard­ing sci­en­tif­ic and cul­tur­al poli­cies; they also accom­mo­date per­son­al mem­o­ries as well. The video-instal­la­tion ERINNERUNGEN DER DINGE (Mem­o­ries of Objects) shows a del­e­ga­tion of rep­re­sen­ta­tives of the Tuparí people from Brazil as they visit eth­no­log­i­cal col­lec­tions in Europe in 2009. These images of the Tuparí’s encounter with the objects and doc­u­ments of their ances­tors in Euro­pean archives are con­trast­ed with images of their vil­lage. How can cul­ture be pre­served? What do objects mean to us? Who rep­re­sents them?