Museum of Oaxacan Cultures

 

The Museum of Oaxacan Cultures, housed in the beautiful 16th-century monastery buildings, is one of Mexico's best regional museums. The rich displays take you right through the history and cultures of Oaxaca state up to the present day, and emphasize the direct lineage from pre-Hispanic to contemporary cultures in areas such as crafts, medicine and food. The building is considered to be the crown jewel of Spanish colonial architecture in the Americas, and is the realization of European Renaissance idealism brought to life by the hands of native artisans.

PROJECT

Renovation of the ex–convent and conversion into a museum was a massive project completed in 1998. The museum houses 27 exhibition galleries with Mixtec, Zapotec, colonial, and contemporary cultural artifacts. 

INTERACTIVES

The museographic project included the production of 36 in-gallery interactive kiosks to complement most of the galleries. The development process included design, content development, software development, and media production. I was a lead producer and developer, and helped coordinate a diverse group of content experts that produced 1850 screens of original content in six months.

INTERACTIVES BEING USED BY SCHOOLCHILDREN:

INTERACTIVES

  • Arqueología - Archaeology of Oaxaca

  • Tumba 7 de Monte Albán – Tomb 7 of Monte Albán

  • Contacto y conquista – Contact and Conquest

  • Sociedad colonial – Colonial Society

  • Nueva nación – New Nation (independence)

  • México moderno – Modern Mexico

  • Oaxaca indígena  - Indigenous Groups of Oaxaca

  • Santo Domingo – History of Santo Domingo, the Building

  • Fibras y tintes – Natural Fibers and Dyes

  • Atuendo – Clothing Styles

  • Cerámica - Ceramics

  • Orfebrería – Gold and Silver Work

  • Tallas -  Carving and Sculpture

  • Herrería – Blacksmith’s Arts

  • Talabartería – Leather Arts

  • Música - Music

  • Medicina tradicional – Traditional Medicine

  • Plástica – Fine Arts

  • Gastronomía - Gastronomy

  • Mezcal - Mezcal

  • Ciclos de vida – Cycles of Life

PROJECT
Produced for the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures in 1998.

FORMAT AND PRESENTATION
22 custom interactive applications running on 17" touch screen computers

MY ROLE
Lead producer and software developer, lead all new media production