| michigan state university museum installation: main floor
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The main foyer of Michigan State University Museum and the entrance to exhibition. |
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Entrance to exhibition, featuring a map of Ethiopia. |
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The exhibition emphasized the diversity of creative traditions in Ethiopia. But it also demonstrated that these traditions often are shared, and that there are different cultural institutions that serve as arenas for their exchange. Found throughout Ethiopia, the market or "mercato" serves as one of the most important places where people share ideas and the things that they make.
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The idea of the market as an arena for exchange, was demonstrated in the reconstruction of a market stall displaying many of the same kinds of goods featured in many parts of the exhibition. |
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A large mirror affixed to the back of the market stall reflected a market scene reproduced in a 30-foot photographic transparency. As the visitor walked past the market stall s/he became part of an illusionary market space. |
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One of the "mercatos of ideas." Based on the notion that the mercato (market) serves as a place where ideas are shared, these kiosks were strategically situated to deal with the "exchange of ideas." |
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The inside of one of the "mercatos of ideas." Each kiosk dealt with one of the fundamental issues signaled in the title of the exhibition: Why Ethiopia? What is tradition? What is creativity? |
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Exhibit area featuring the sorghum stalk model maker, Tolera Tafa. |
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One of several display cases displaying Tolera's models. |
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View of the exhibit area featuring the basket maker, Amina Ismail Sherif. |
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Another view of Amina's exhibit. |
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Case displaying the baskets of Amina and her daughters Samiya and Munira. |
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