This October, the majority of the programming at the Morbid Anatomy Museum will be devoted to the unique cultural practices around death in Mexico under the tutelage of Mexico-born scholar in residence Salvador Olguín, a writer and researcher with an MA in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU who has worked extensively with cultural artifacts
connected to
the representation of Death.
Over the course of the month, Olguín will seek to explore--via lectures, screenings, workshops, a reading group, field trips and a
party--the historical
background behind some of Mexico's most
intriguing cultural practices and artifacts such as Day of the Dead and Santa Muerte (see above). Offerings include a reading group exploring ways in which the theme of human sacrifice has haunted the Mexican nation ever since
the Spaniards first learned about this practice among the Aztecs, and will culminate in
our second annual Field Trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca for Day of the Dead. The month's activities are co-sponsored by the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York.
Following is a full list of events taking place as part of Olguín's residency. To learn more about him, click here. Hope to see you at one or more of these terrific events!
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“La Santa Muerte (Saint Death)” A Screening of the Documentary with Director Eva Aridjis
Date: Friday, October 3rd
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8 (tickets here)
Tonight, join us and director Eva Aridjis for a film about the rapidly growing cult of Santa Muerte, or Saint Death. This female grim reaper, considered a saint by followers but Satanic by the Catholic Church, is worshiped by people whose lives are filled with danger and/or violence- criminals, gang members, transvestites, sick people, drug addicts, and families living in rough neighborhoods.
More here.
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'Cuerpo Presente': Mourning and Cultural Representations of Death in Mexico, Featuring a Collection of Postmortem Photographs from Rural Mexico: An Illustrated lecture with Salvador Olguín
Date: Tuesday, October 7th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8 (tickets here)
This illustrated lecture will present a series of postmortem photographs taken between the 1930’s and the 1950’s, when the tradition of celebrating a person’s departure with a last photo was very much alive in small towns and villages in Mexico.
More here.
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Halloween/Day of the Dead Flea Market with multiple vendors selling taxidermy galore, mexican folk art, unusual antiques, obscure books, and assorted curiosities
Date: Sunday, October 12th
Time: 12pm to 6pm
Admission: FREE
Halloween/Day of the Dead Flea Market with your favorite artists, makers and antique peddlers, including Rebeca Olguin and Day of the Dead folk art; Daisy Tainton with her insect shadowboxes and mourning rings; Invisible Gallery and with his taxidermilogical curiosities; Elizabeth New and her abject housewares; Deadly Chocolate by Curious Candies; and many more!
More here.
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Screening of ¡Que Viva Mexico! by Sergei Eisenstein
Date: Sunday, October 12th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8 (tickets here)In 1930, after failing to secure enough backing for his motion picture projects in the US, Russian filmmaker Serguéi Eisenstein headed south to Mexico, where he shot about 40 hours worth of film. The idea was to produce a movie celebrating Mexico’s violent and diverse history. The title: ¡Que viva México! Join us to watch this film in our large screen, and for a conversation with writer Salvador Olguín afterwards.
More here.
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Human Sacrifice in Theory and History: Mexico and Beyond: Reading and discussion group led by Salvador Olguín
Dates: Three Mondays, October 13th, 20th and 27th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $28 (tickets here)
In this guided reading group, writer and Morbid Anatomy Museum scholar in residence Salvador Olguín will introduce attendees to texts, testimonials, and images dealing with the themes of human sacrifice and decapitation, in an attempt to understand the symbolic nature of current events and events in history. The class will touch on George Bataille's Acéphale society, which strove to, via a literal human sacrifice, save the world from catastrophe. It will also explore the ways in which the theme of human sacrifice has haunted the Mexican nation ever since the Spaniards first learned about this practice among the Aztecs.
More here.
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Field trip to Santa Muerte Shrine in Queens; save the date!
Date: October 18; More soon!
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Death and the Idea of Mexico: An Illustrated Lecture by Claudio Lomnitz, Director of the Center for Mexican Studies at Columbia University and author of Death and the Idea of Mexico
Date: Tuesday, October 21st
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8 (tickets here)
In this lecture, professor Lomnitz will provide us with a glance into said past. The lecture is based on Lomnitz’s book (available for sale and signing at the Museum) Death and the Idea of Mexico, the first social, cultural, and political history of death in a nation that has made death its tutelary sign.
More here.
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Annual Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Party
Featuring an illustrated Lecture by Dr. Andrew Chestnut, Music, Costumes, Calavera Makeup, Tequila, Traditional Altar, Sugar Skulls, Death Piñata, and more!
Date: Friday, October 24th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $25 - $15 for Morbid Anatomy Museum Members (tickets here)
Presented by Morbid Anatomy and Borderline Projects
Please join us on Friday, October 24 for our annual Morbid Anatomy Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos costume party! Featuting a mini-lecture by Dr. Andrew Chestnut, author of "Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, The Skeleton Saint," Calavera Makeup by Jane Rose, tequila, music, sugar skulls, our beloved La Catrina, exotic tunes by DJ in Residence Friese Undine, a Day of the Dead Altar honoring the late film director Luis Bunuel, a Mexican Food Truck and, as always, an opportunity to strike a mortal blow to our beautiful piñata of Lady Death herself!
More here.
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Papel Picado (Day of the Dead Cut Paper Decoration) workshop with Rebeca Olguín
Date: Sunday, October 26th
Time: 1pm to 6pm
Admission: $100 (tickets here)
During this workshop the participants will make their own papel picado creations withdrawing inspiration from the traditional techniques and motives of the art of papel picado in Mexico
More here.
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Muerte en Mexico: A Special Field Trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca for for Day of the Dead to Visit Sites Important to the History of Death in Mexico
Dates: October 31 – November 4 2014 (**Must reserve by July 15)
$675.00 USD (includes all hotels in double-rooms, luxury ground transportation, museum admissions, guided visits, and breakfasts; airfares not included); email info@borderlineprojects.com to reserve a space. Please send payments via PayPal to: info@borderlineprojects.com. SOLD OUT
A 4-day trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca for Day of the Dead; curated, organized and guided by Mexican writer and scholar Salvador Olguín for Borderline Projects, and Morbid Anatomy. Includes day of the dead celebrations, markets, churches, luxury bus travel, hotels, tickets to museums and breakfasts.
More here.
Photo: Santa Muerte shrine, Mexico City.
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