A Tour Guide, A Lapidary and The Wind Meet In The Exhebition

“Third graders from around the city come to the museum. First, they explore the museum. We discuss the ideas of local collections with them.”

“Then, we discuss our yearly exhibition with them.”? Ana Mercedes Stoffel is a tall beautiful lady. She talled? me her curatorial experience in the STONE exhebition? while jumping around the exhibits.

“Holding an exhibition on the stone from the Estremenho was one of the topics that the population of Batalha, Portugal, was interested in. We lead participatory research programs.” When Mercedes described the proceses that she went throught with the community her eyes sparkeled.

“We discussed the topic? with Our Museum Heros. For a moment I thought the Mercedes was talking about a movie they created in the museum.

” These are our third graders she read my thoughts and presented the various topics that the Museum Heros brought up: The different uses of the stone, Llife above and under the stone and tools to shape the stones”

In two corners of the gallery, there are two columns. Joaqim the lapidary, told me about his love for the stone.” I was brought up in the mountains.? As a child, I picked up stones and liked to shape them. When the Museum Heroes came and asked me to build? culloms for the exhibition I was happy.”?

Once columns marked the border between farmers’ lots. I am proud of my ability to assemble hundreds of shapes and hues to one perfect column that? mesmerizes visitors.”

Visitors complimented Joaqim for his perfect work.?

Oscar Pries shares his deep connection to the area when he travels with tourists.”My favorite place is the cave. When we enter the cave the stones are shiny and fresh….. In the exhibition, I present our beautiful landscape around small pedals in winter time.”

What can the wind present you ask yourself?

In the cover photo, Mercedes is pointing to a sculpture from The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória.” We put the sculpture in a glass box. Visitors can see the dust. We installed it a few days ago and you see the grains. Can you imagine how many more grains will be here next week?”