OVERVIEW
The Museum of the Mayan Culture is located in Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo, approximately 300 miles south of Cancun, and 20 miles north of Mexico’s border with Belize. The museum presents key concepts that explain the Mayan world through its complex cosmology, focusing on the material and spiritual roots of the Classic period (250–900 AC). The museums floor plan is innovative, with open spaces of circulation which allow for ad-hoc visitor experiences.
At the core of the museum a massive three dimensional sculpture based on the sacred ceiba, or tree of life, that was created by the renown museologist Iker Laurrarui. With this tree of life as a focal point, visitors travel across levels that symbolize the underworld, human realm, and heavens.
A variety of themes are expressed through detailed archaeological site models, monumental replicas of archaeological objects, and physical interactives. This makes for an experience in which the spectacle and use of technological resources allow for the active participation of the visitor.
WHAT WE DID
A major section of the first floor is dedicated to the relationship between the Maya and their natural environment. A large scale mural shows a graphic cross section from the Pacific Ocean over the mountains and down to the Caribbean coast, crossing a multitude of ecological niches. Physical examples of flora, fauna, tools and artifacts used to exploit these resources are displayed in front of the mural. Faced with the practical limitations of trying to represent a sufficient number of resources together with their corresponding information, we developed an interactive program that allows visitors to explore how the Mayas utilized over 80 natural resources.
Demo of the interactive, highlighting the intuitive interface and rich content.
The content of the interactive kiosks complements and magnifies the surrounding exhibition with short interpretive texts, photographs, and videos on how the Maya utilized each type of natural resource. The user interface was designed for ease of use and switching between Spanish and English at any point.
PROJECT
Produced for the Museo de la Cultura Maya, Chetumal, Quintana Roo in 1993. Museum designed by Museográfica, under the direction of Jorge Agostoni.
FORMAT AND PRESENTATION
In-gallery kiosks running an interactive application developed in HyperCard, installed on Macintosh Quadras with Micro Touch touchscreens.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Director: Manuel Gándara Vásquez
Design and production: Paco Link
Writer: Vera Tiesler
Image processing: José Rodríguez