Ulises Figueroa

“After meticulously studying the taxonomy of animals, I came to the conclusion that there are two main varieties of animals: animals that have been classified and unknown animals. So many varieties remain to be discovered, especially at the microscopic level, not even to mention the probable animals on other planets. Another partition that seems important to me is the distinction between living and non-living animals, the living ones do not need any explanation, but the lineage of the non-living ones is much more stimulating; in that lineage we would find not only rotten bodies or extinct species, but also the parallel universe of representations and their visual fables. A plastic elephant is an elephant, of course, a non-living elephant, but an elephant after all …”

—Ulises Figueroa

The artist Ulises Figueroa carried out a co-participation process with the neighbor and teacher, María Teresa Ferriz, over the course of six months. During the work process, they designed a strategy for activating an apparatus to increase awareness of natural science and reading among the children and young people in the neighborhood. Together they designed a “scientific” cabinet about the animal kingdom that included multiple visual narratives about the ecological footprint and environmental impact on the animal world. The cabinet was displayed in the Geology Museum between in February and March 2016. During this period approximately 800 children from neighborhood elementary schools participated in didactic activities designed by the mediator, Ketzali Arreola.

—Josefa Ortega y Rodrigo Cimancas

Curators: Osvaldo Sánchez and Josefa Ortega

Final Project: Interactive educational installation presented in the Geology Museum located in the center of Santa María la Ribera.

Acknowledgments