Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Welcome to the artistic project Our own other: An Archive for the future









Be part of an art project in the Tropenmuseum!


The Tropenmuseum hosts the art project ‘Our own other: An Archive for the future’ by visual artist Paula Salas from Chile. This is an artistic collaborative project between the artist and the visitors of the Tropenmuseum. Paula is currently undertaking an Artistic Research Master at the University of Amsterdam. She would like you to participate and gives you some background information about the project.

What would we look like to people unfamiliar with us? Imagine, in 150 years time: what would people see looking back at us? Can you imagine that your looks and behavior, which seem self-evident to you now, might appear strange to others? How would we represent ourselves to such strange eyes?

How long does the activity take?
15 to 30 minutes

Can everybody participate?
It’s free of charge and no special skills or tools are required.
You can work individually and also in small groups (5 max.).
Families with children are welcome to participate.
The minimum age for individual participants is 15

What am I going to do?
You are invited to portrait yourself and the people around you in different ways, using images available in the museum as a source of inspiration and starting point

Which materials do I use?
A photo camera, video camera, or paper and pencil will be provided as your materials

Is someone helping me?
Coordinator Paula will help you find your way, answer any questions you may have, and assist you where needed

What is the story behind the project?
This is an invitation to look at ourselves as if we were strangers. It is also an invitation to play with the ways we can represent ourselves. These issues occupy Paula Salas, and she invites you and other museum visitors to explore them with her in this project.

According to Paula Salas the Tropenmuseum provides a unique context to engage with modes of representation, since the museum has a long tradition of portraying people and cultures, and also a history of questioning how such portrayal is done.

What will happened with the images?
The images you and other museum visitors produce will be collected on an archive that will presented online in this blog (here, you can also see what other visitors produced, and you can post your own comments).

If you need more information, just email us to ourownother@gmail.com

The project has been set up as part of her Artistic Research Master at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. By participating you will agree with possible publication or/and exhibition of your image(s).

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