Translations and Transitions
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Traducciones y Transiciones

400 sq ft exhibit in manuscript's gallery at Walters Art Museum celebrating the bicentennial independence of Mexico and Central America. It explores the cultural exchanges between Indigenous people and Europeans by highlighting the sophistication and vibrance of Native cultures in Central America.

Running through November 7, 2021, at the Walters Art Museum.

Understanding that Baltimore has a large population of immigrants from Central America, we wanted to ensure they had access to Spanish translations of the text. In this small gallery, however, we ran into limited space for text but we incorporated the use of a QR code for the Spanish labels. Although we are conscious of its limitations, its use by visitors gives us more insight into how we can also create greater accessibility across languages and cultures.

Featuring the work of contemporary artists in conversation with the collection has been a goal of the Walters Art Museum in recent years. Here we highlight at the entrance and exit of the gallery an original painting by Mexican-American artist René Treviño, which seeks to reclaim Indigenous astronomical knowledge through a creative reimagining of 16th-century European star charts.