"The Tzitzimimeh were also feared during other ominous periods of the Aztec world, such as during the five unlucky days called Nemontemi which marked an unstable period of the year count, and during the New Fire ceremony marking the beginning of a new calendar round - both were periods associated with the fear of change."

"The New Fire ceremony (in Nahuatl xiuhmolpilli—the Binding of the Years) was an Aztec ceremony performed once every 52 years — a full cycle of the Aztec calendar— in order to stave off the end of the world."

Immediately after the war, he began a thorough reorganization of the institution. In 1946, a fierce fire reduced an entire wing of the Cinquantenaire Museum to ashes, as well as destroying part of the collections housed there. Rebuilding took time and it was only in 1966 that the new wing was inaugurated.
--> we need some explanation of the passing of the 52 years, in expectation of which the goddess peut-être Xochiquetzal ou Tzitzimime awakens

base of mexico and a particular summit, all fires would be put out, 
a man was sacrificed upon the mountain and a fire drill would be placed on his chest and list
a huge bonfire
and the new calendar was declared
and the fire would be taken all over the city

the objects are going to be orphaned if and when the museum seizes to exist
in which case, the goddess peut-être Xochiquetzal ou Tzitzimime awakens
she is the goddess of dead mothers, and since emile introduced the museum as a daughter, whose embilical cord was cut and it has been growing
we see the orphaned objects as what will remain when the museum, the mother of the objects dies
in which case, the goddess peut-être Xochiquetzal ou Tzitzimime will provide them with techniques of survival in the absence of the nurture of the art history establishment


she scarped the database and she sees that many are researching this statue
she makes the information public and erase the statue
people don't understand what is happening
because the statue is fundamental in the history of belgium because of tintin


it is nice as a prelude to have the technical evolutions of the database
with some details that we need for the story


GOING THROUGH THE PAST: Historical cross-section of cataloguing practices

you have the database and what is shown from the database
i want to show it in comparison to the current
all catalogues compare to the current

first: 1893
super detailed catalogue
who gave the instrument
the sounds it makes

60s:
there are surely things in between
63 is a list of names and short notes

1980s:
it is really an inventory of it
it has potentially more information

1990s:
it becomes more narrative and a word document

2000:
they started including pictures (again)
and then comes the failed database of the Belgian company (MuseumView and Museum2View)
with the introduction of the databases for Cinquintainnaire they merged


2016:
they are negotiating with the standardized care of MuseumPlus
how they can bring things from their own structures



voice of Carmentis:
in your story Carmentis appears
the techno-optimist
in bed with Alphabet/Google


care: the catalogue that failed and they had their own catalogue cared for and survived

fire: the catalogue from the 60s is after the fire
        it is not the fire in MIM, but during the wars they also didn't do anything, and they didn't have funds



Carmentis
she was a goddess of child birth and prophecy
technical innovation
protector
and inventor of the alphabet
the patron saint of the db of the museum

we found our own goddess in the DB
she prophesizes a vision of the end of the world
and in these times of instability 
she notices that the goddess peut-être Xochiquetzal ou Tzitzimime starts appearing in the horizon
she is used to things having one name or being one thing
Tzitizimime appeared in different times of the Aztec world
especially in times associated with the fear of change

NEW FIRE CEREMONY INTRODUCTION

[the story of the goddesses is a story of taking care]
carmenta takes care of mothers and children
tzitzimime takes care of dead mothers (and their children)

carmentis is frightened, because peut-être Xochiquetzal ou tzitizimime has appeared
carmentis asks why tzitzimime has appeared in the horizon
what is tzitzimime worried about

        i remembers the reopening of the museum from 50 years ago after the fire of 1946
        it is time for a new fire ceremony in 2018, a full 52 years have passed since the regeneration of the museum in 1966

        i am not sure how she felt about the previous fire
        the fire in 1946 destroyed the objects, it could be seen as freedom from being subject to a colonial history but it was not
        the museum came back with all confidence in 1966

        now that a new 52 years is about to open
        i wonder whether the museum will survive the next fire or waves of change
        i worry that if the museum just ends, it will be an opportunity lost to confront that colonial history with its own history

        at this point carmentis arrives and offers her database as a place for tzitzimime to join her in writing the experience of the colonial history

        SAM

        after the database pres: 
        every collection manageme
        nt system carries a vision of care that functions through the structure of its database
        the database sets the parameters of care, what matters in relationship to the object
        and to take care of the objects includes taking care of the database
        database an ever changing product that reflects less a sense of cultural representation then a market vision of culture
        stuck in the vision of manageability, efficiency and promise of ahistorical esthaetics
        we need to understand how this care is shaped and governed
        in order to be able to change it
        we need to evaluate the state of the museum by looking at whether what it declares as its duty to care
an initial inventory shows that the museum cares for:
        diplomatic relations
        royal family history
        inter-european power relationships
        making of the young belgian state
        presenting science
        curators as gatekeepers
        growth
        king leopold and his legacy
        archeologists/donators and confirmation of their role in society
        taking care of the museum/museumification
                becoming a resource for more research, which helps with the growth
                legitimizing and normalizing collection acitivities

        creating collective knowledge and imaginary through exhibitions
                the imaginary of the state, the nation, the kingdom
                the imaginary of the others

        how can we break out of the mold of the databases that mold the museum and expand the scope of care

#new fire ceremony needs a sacrifice
#this is not killing someone but take his body
#tzitzimime takes my body

        we imagine that the new fire ceremony in 2018 allows this change to happen
        which zoumana gives an acocunt of in 2036


        seda stop here


        and tells the story of the new fire ceremony that happens in 2018

        for the new fire ceremony tzitzimime needs to start with a sacrifice
        the sacrifice was the embodiment of a curator
        the spirit of a curator
        the curator decides to create a mold of all the objects in the museum
        objects that were stolen and the objects of administering the museum
        and of the personnel

        she decides to change the paradigm of care
        all the objects of the museum were spread 
        with a promise of care
        this exhibition just an exhibition of the molds

        intentions of the exhibition
        which is an exhibition that signifies letting control of the objects but not forgetting its role in the history of colonialism