Thirteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The 2014 disappearance of 43 students of Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College raised urgent questions that remain unresolved today. Since the news of the disappearance, calls for action have been prominent throughout Mexico, demanding that the local and national government uncover what happened the night the students went missing. The disappearance and kidnapping highlighted the corruption within the Mexican government and the frustration of its citizens. Ayotzinapa garnered international attention from artists such as Ai Weiwei and journalist John Gibler. This study examines how museums in both Mexico and the United States have used their space to respond to the Ayotzinapa kidnapping. Museums such as the Museo Memoria y Tolerancia and Museo Universitario Art Contemporáneo in Mexico City have exhibited works that commemorate the 43 missing students and the protests in response to the kidnapping. Museums in the United States such as the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, IL invited artists to respond to the disappearance in their exhibitions of Day of the Dead. Museums have the opportunity to create spaces for visitors to learn and have conversations on social injustices. These institutions have a role in shaping a social, collective memory and creating spaces for reflection and discussion.