Museum of Time (Museo del Tiempo)
Burying present and past memories linked to a city is the challenge set by Museum of Time, a participatory art project that crosses the boundaries of street theater, storytelling and music. The project invites us to reflect on time, memory and territorial identity, using artistic mediation and participation.
Museum of Time has its origins in the novel Momo (1973) by Michael Ende, which reflects on the concept of time and its use in modern societies. With the aim of protecting the past time, people who participate in this project will walk through their neighborhood or town to protect their memories. Memories that will be kept in a box and will be buried, in a public ritual accompanied by music.
These memories will also leave a trace: a map and a QR code, marking the burial sites, so that others can follow the same path, make the same journey of memory, collectively building the Museum of Time.
Museum of Time presents us with the possibility of burying the memories of anonymous figures, non-historical memories destined to disappear, and it also constructs a collective memory born from anonymous citizens. From the moment an object is buried, that memory becomes a collective one.
Museum of Time is an artistic mediation project and a proposal for participation and dialogue that has made the leap to other disciplines, such as literature or performing arts.
It was first performed in Évora and Viseu (Portugal) in 2004, in collaboration with the Belem Cultural Center (Lisbon) and the European Community. After that it has been presented in several Spanish cities (Valencia, the VEO Festival in Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, among others) and European cities (Nanterre, Beja, Pombal, Portimão), as well as in rural areas.
In 2024, it returned to Portugal as part of the Portimão City Centenary program, and in April 2025, it was included in the program of Mostra Igualada festival (Barcelona).
En 2024 regresó a Portugal, formando parte de la programación para la conmemoración del centenario de la ciudad de Portimão.
QR Code in Mostra Igualada:
Artistic team:
Creation and direction: Jose Antonio Portillo
Sound creation and music: Julián González
Map ilustration: Carmen Puchol
Compilation and composition of texts: Nuria Aparici
Executive production: Unnica Arts
Fotography and communication: Antonio Portillo y David Cárcel
Printing: Benigraphic
QR code: Gsol