Latin America, Caribbean Quick Takes: Mexican Zoos Welcome Baby Animals; MUAC Opens Virtual Space for Art
Baby Animal Births Bring Joy to Mexican Zoos
During the global quarantine, two zoos in Mexico were filled with excitement and joy as they welcomed two new members into the zoo family. In February, Mexico’s Zoológico de Chapultepec welcomed a healthy baby giraffe. Just a few weeks later, Bio-Zoo in Cordoba, Veracruz, welcomed a Bengal tiger cub.
The birth of both animals not only brought hope during uncertain times, it also brought out the zoos’ creativity when naming their new members. In mid-April, Mexico City’s Ministry of the Environment launched a virtual survey allowing the public to name the male giraffe. A total of 11,769 people participated in the survey and chose Valentino as the winning name. It turned out the name was already a favorite among the zookeepers at Zoológico de Chapultepec, since Valentino was born around Valentine’s Day.
The Bio-Zoo team had no doubt what they would name the Bengal tiger cub that was born during a global pandemic. After all, his birth was a surprise, so they named him Covid.
Art Museum in Mexico City Opens Virtual Space
When guests can’t make it to the museum during a global pandemic, the museum must come to them. For one of Mexico City’s most beloved museums, it was the launch of a virtual space for art and a clever social media campaign that kept museum enthusiasts engaged.
The Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (University Museum of Contemporary Art, also known by its Spanish acronym MUAC)
released Room 10, a new virtual space that hosts new digital content on the museum’s website. On social networks, the museum uses the Spanish hashtag #MUACdondeEstés, translating to “MUAC wherever you are.”
“Room 10 was something we had been planning to launch, but we had to speed it up. It was important for us to launch this virtual space during times of social distancing and keep the selections featured a surprise,” says Cuauhtémoc Medina, curator in chief of the MUAC.
One of the room’s first projects was the launch of the film “Children’s Game #19: Haram Football,” by Belgian artist Francis Alÿs. The virtual room also featured the world premiere of Cyclops Live at the Cabaret Voltaire, the first presentation that the Carlos Amorales rock band made at Zurich’s Cabaret Voltaire.
