Día de Muertos

The new temporary exhibition of the Carnival and Mask Museum puts one of the most emblematic events of Mexican culture in the spotlight : the Day of the Dead celebrations. 

In Mexico, Death is celebrated ! Like a vibrant hymn to life, the festivities of the Day of the Dead celebrate the dead during an intense period combining contemplation and conviviality.

Declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, the Day of the Dead celebrations take place all over the country, among more than 360 native cultures. It is this complex cultural mosaic formed by Mexican history that makes the Day of the Dead celebrations so particular and enigmatic. 

The erection of altars, the decoration of the tombs and, more recently, parades featuring people wearing disguises, masks and makeups, provide an opportunity for the living to commemorate and to honour their deceased family members. 

This exhibition presents the Day of the Dead celebrations from two different perspectives. On the one hand, it deals with the traditional way of celebrating the Day of the Dead in the rural areas of the state of Chiapas (in the south of Mexico), among the Tsotsil Maya. On the other hand, the exhibition shows  the more recent development of these celebrations in the cities.  

The urban version of these festivities, with its smiling skulls and skeletons, thrills the whole country, but also the Mexican communities all over the world. 

This new temporary exhibition will open its doors to the public on a highly symbolic day, namely on 1st November