Máscaras Jurupixuna : reflexão e proposta museológica em torno do acto performativo etnográfico

Within portuguese museum collections of academic use, many pieces remain hidden and away from public knowledge. Various examples could be mentioned, but this dissertation focuses on a group of ritual masks of Brazilian indigenous origin. These primarily belonged to a long-lost tribe – the Jurupixuna. The Jurupixuna masks were sent to Portugal during the 18th century, as part of the Viagem Philosophica (Philosophical Journey) to Brazil, leaded by the naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira. They currently belong to two museological and academic institutions, Museu da Ciência da Universidade de Coimbra (Science Museum of the University of Coimbra) and Museu Maynense da Academdia das Ciências de Lisboa (Maynense Museum of the Science Academy of Lisbon). The Memória da Amazónia (Memory of Amazonia) temporary exhibitons (1991, Coimbra (Portugal); 1992, Lisbon (Portugal); 1994, Oporto (Portugal); 1997, Manaus (Brazil) played a key role in making them known among the general public. With the goal of creating an exhibition only about the Jurupixuna masks (the previous ones were not focused solely on these), the performance appears as a vehicle for the exhibit proposal. Despite the great ambivalence and dichotomies between museology and performance, the museum boundaries are increasingly being deconstructed, allowing the performance to become a legitimate possibility. The performance has the power to reach different kinds of audience, concentrating on integrating different senses in the perception of the collections and “filling gaps” in the pieces' history. Combining performance with the Jurupixuna masks enables complex and mysterious concepts to be described and narrated through a more sensorial experience. Masks – Jurupixuna – Viagem Philosophica/Philosophical Journey – Performance in the Museological Field – Memória da Amazónia/Memory of Amazonia Exhibition