The Regional Directorate for Culture, through its External Services, joins the celebrations of the International Museum Day and the European Museum Night, held May 18 and 19, under the theme "Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics."
 
ICOM - International Council of Museums chose this theme for this year's celebrations, noting that "hyperconnectivity is a term created in 2001 to designate the multiple forms of communication of today, such as face-to-face contact, email, instant messaging, telephone or the Internet."
 
For ICOM, this "global network of connections becomes increasingly more complex, diverse and integrated" and, in this context, museums in today's "hyperconnected" world have decided to "join this new trend."
 
The museums under the administration of the Regional Directorate for Culture join these celebrations by organising activities intended to bring their collections closer to the different audiences as well as by exploring the multiple connections with their communities in different and innovative ways.
 
The Flores Museum holds a treasure-hunting activity on Friday, May 18, International Museum Day, between 9 AM and 5 PM. The activity is inspired by the role played by Western Group islands as an important haven for ships crossing the oceans between the 16th and 18th centuries.
 
Aimed at children and teenagers, this treasure hunt consists of a series of clues leading to the resolution of successive enigmas, each pointing to the next mystery until the final discovery of the treasure.
 
During the activity, participants will go through the whole museum's collection related to navigation, while accompanied by the Education Service staff.
 
In order to mark the Museum Night, the Flores Museum will hold a book fair from May 22 to 31 at 9 PM with the aim of encouraging public curiosity and appreciation for the literary works of Azorean authors.
 
The fair features books on various themes, ranging from history, literature, poetry, art, exhibition guides to biographies, among other themes. It offers a 50% discount on the night of May 22 and a 30% discount on the remaining days.
 
In turn, the Pico Museum promotes on May 18 an initiative for the beneficiaries of Madre Maria Clara Social Works to take place in Candelária at 3 PM. It includes a guided tour to the Wine Museum as well as games and educational activities to be held at Santa Luzia Forest Park in collaboration with Pico Natural Park.
 
On May 18, the show "An essay on bodies" by dancer and choreographer Catarina Medeiros will take place at the Blackbox of Arquipélago - Contemporary Arts Centre in Ribeira Grande at 9:30 PM.
 
This show was created under the "Art for All" Artistic Residency. It has taken place at the Occupational Activity Centre of the "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" of Ribeira Grande since March 1 with the purpose of introducing dance and movement to people with intellectual difficulties.
 
Also, on May 18, the Graciosa Museum promotes a heritage itinerary "Whaling memories on Graciosa" from 9 to 10 AM. It will involve the participation of 7th form students from Graciosa Basic Education and Secondary School.
 
This itinerary will address aspects concerning Graciosa's whaling heritage, including the exhibition of a film on whale watching, a visit to the exhibition at the Whaling Boat House in Santa Cruz and the "Caldeiros da Barra" (whale oil oven).
 
The Francisco de Lacerda Museum on S. Jorge celebrates the International Museum Day on May 18 with the opening of the exhibition entitled "The last voyage of the barge Mont Ferran, the last French slave vessel" at 8 PM.
 
This historiographical work by José Carlos Neto is based on the study of pieces salvaged from this shipwreck in Vila da Calheta bay by the last chief captain of Calheta, Miguel António Silveira e Sousa.
 
The study of the pieces salvaged from "Mont Ferran" acquires relevance in the regional and national scene for being the testimony of slave trade, whose archaeological evidence is rather scarce in Portugal.
 
On May 18, the Horta Museum conducts guided tours for the local school community from 10 AM to 4 PM. This initiative intended to disseminate the Museum and its collections.
 
Those who are interest may register at the reception desk of Horta Museum, at the email [email protected] or the telephone 292 202 576.
 
In turn, the Carlos Machado Museum in Ponta Delgada also joins these celebrations with the opening of the "Image, Identity and Tourism" exhibition curated by Catarina Melo Antunes at the Santa Bárbara Centre on May 18 at 6:30 PM.
 
This exhibition aims to illustrate how social, political, economic and, above all, cultural conditions determined heritage and identity constructions in specific moments in the history of the 19th and 20th centuries in the Azores as well as how they became iconic images in the context of tourism. It is based on a collection of written documents, art works, craft pieces, iconography, audiovisual materials and decorative art objects that was carried out at Carlos Machado Museum.
 
The themes featured at the exhibition include the construction of Ponta Delgada Port, the royal visit of 1901 and the creation of local societies that promoted the island as a tourist destination. In this context, it highlights the "Sociedade Propagadora de Noticias Micaelenses" in 1899, the first national society dedicated to the promotion of tourism, the "Sociedade Terra Nostra" in 1934.
 
The Angra do Heroísmo Museum joins the celebrations of the European Museum Night with a programme evoking the Azorean whaling history.
 
The programme begins Saturday, May 19, with the production of a workshop on moulding techniques to be guided by ceramist Adolfo Mendonça, whose works are inspired by Azorean marine life, namely cetaceans. The activity takes place between 2 and 5 PM and is organised in partnership with the Regional Centre for Handicrafts.
 
The opening of the exhibition displaying the artist's works, entitled "Our Sea - Ceramics by Adolfo Mendonça," is scheduled for 9 PM. It will be open to the public until June 10 at the reserved area for Animal-powered Transport Collection - 18th and 19th Centuries.
 
Heliodoro Silva will conduct a guided tour to the whaling boat on display in the cloister of S. Francisco Convent, where he will address the construction and main features of these Azorean vessels as well as basic whaling techniques. The initiative is organised in collaboration with the Village Council of São Mateus and the company Ananias Contente.
 
Moreover, the programme also includes a presentation of a unique and condensed version of the folk opera "Romance de Mateus e da Baleia" at 10 PM. This project was developed by Cães do Mar Theatre Company and is staged by Ana Brum, with libretto composed by Peter Cann and music composed by maestro Antero Ávila.
 
The International Museum Day, held annually on May 18, was created in 1977 by ICOM - International Council of Museums with the aim of promoting a reflection on the role of museums in their development.
 
The Museum Night is an initiative established in 2005 by the Ministry of Culture and Communication of France.
 
On the occasion, Portuguese museums organise multiple activities, including theatre and dance shows, concerts, guided and staged tours, inviting visitors to enjoy a different and enriching experience at night.
 
The Regional Directorate for Culture informs that this and other events may be consulted in the Cultural Agenda of CulturAçores Portal at the following address: www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt.