Tlapitzalli. riti e suoni del Messico antico
Artem 2024, Scuderie del Quirinale
Italian version of the catalogue and Italian and English translation of the room panels by Scriptum
The exhibition – curated by Frida Montes de Oca Fiol and hosted at the Scuderie del Quirinale from 30 July to 15 September 2024 – explores the fascinating sound world of Mesoamerican civilisations through 163 archaeological finds. Promoted by the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH) and the General Directorate for Museums of the MIC, it celebrates 150 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and Mexico.
In order to pay homage to the deities, the ancient pre-Hispanic peoples imagined and constructed sound instruments that allowed them to connect the earthly world with the divine. The title ‘Tlapitzalli’ refers to the sacred flute of Tezcatlipoca, an Aztec deity, and symbolises the importance of music in the daily life and religious rituals of those ancient civilisations of Central America.
The exhibition, the result of the work of a multidisciplinary scientific committee composed of musicologists, conservators, archaeologists, anthropologists and ethnologists, highlights the crucial role of music for these peoples. Moreover, recent archaeo-musicological studies have made it possible to reconstruct the sound characteristics of pre-Columbian instruments, showing the complexity and variety of ancient musical techniques.