Mazatec Presence in Berlin. In the Footsteps of Wilhelm (Guillermo) Bauer.
Sharing knowledge of a living culture. Rediscovering the use and significance of objects from Wilhelm Bauer's Mazatec collection.
June 2024
Gabriela García García is a Mazatec woman committed to her culture. She is a writer in the Mazatec language and an interpreter in the Mexican judicial system. She also works as a translator on various topics. Her works and projects focus mainly on the conservation and preservation of her culture.
“When I looked at the objects that had once formed part of my ancestors’ daily lives, I immediately felt connected to the oral traditions I keep in my memory. It was a journey into the past. I remembered the way we grew up and lived in our communities. I felt that each object had a story to tell. This is why it is very important to me that the Mazatec people learn about this collection.”
— Gabriela García García
During her CoMuse fellowship, Gabriela contributed her knowledge and examined the objects of the collection, many of which were textiles. She also translated the Mazatec terms and texts collected by Wilhelm Bauer in the Mazatec region around the year 1900. The intensive work and collaboration between Gabriela, her colleagues, and the staff of the Ethnologisches Museum led to the creation of a photographic exhibition project. The exhibition will first be on display at the Centro Cultural San Pablo, in Oaxaca City and then in various towns in the Mazatec region of Oaxaca, Mexico, to inspire people to pass on their history, culture, and language to future generations.
Gabriela García García is a librarian at the Biblioteca de Investigación Juan de Córdova, Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, our partner institution in this project.