ASOCIACIÓN DE INVESTIGADORES DEL MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL RÍO SECO

(Punta Arenas, 2013)

Located in the city of Punta Arenas, Museo de Historia Natural Río Seco (MHNRS) operates at the intersection between art and science. Inscribed in a genealogy of interdisciplinary initiatives that also includes Ensayos—a research project led by Camila Marambio that brings together artists, activists, and academics in Tierra del Fuego to tackle historical, cultural, and environmental issues—MHNRS focuses on recovering and raising awareness on the natural and cultural heritage of Chile’s southern region. Working from an interdisciplinary perspective, it also intends to examine the impact of traditional museographic methodologies. MHNRS’s video Musculus (2018) combines scientific concerns, like the extinction of species, with issues pertaining to representation and communication. Its filmic discourse expresses the collective’s interest in approaching the audience through multiple channels. While the activity recorded evokes animal slaughter and dissection, it also reveals an attitude of care and attention, reminiscent of other spheres of human activity. Although the images may make the viewer uncomfortable, their formal abstraction also proposes a contemplative experience.