Unearthing stories, memories and identities: lessons from a traveling exhibition

Abstract

This article describes the multiple professional and institutional experiences that led to the design, assembly and montage of the temporary and traveling exhibition “La Trinidad, Sarapiquí: Desenterrando historias, memorias e identidades.” Such exhibition sought the integration of different scientific disciplines, institutions and local identities, in the communities of Sarapiquí and Barva of Heredia.  The fusion of these elements emerged as a result of the archeological investigation which started in 2016, in the site where La Trinidad combat took place. The production of this project integrated a multidisciplinary team that tried to visualize the memories and local identities around the events occurred between 1856 and 1857.  As a result, a design of participatory methodologies that spotlighted the historic relevance of the Sarapiqui river, from the aboriginal cultures until present days, was considered. In that way, the resulting exhibition integrates stories and narrative that flow as river water.