Until Autumn 2017, the pavilion will become a significant cultural attraction of Chapultepec Park, Mexico City’s largest public park. Based on an unrealized exhibition concept developed by German-Russian philosopher Boris Groys, Museum of Immortality was originally presented as an experimental exhibition in Beirut, organized by artist and editor of e-flux journal Anton Vidokle.
The project draws on 19th Century Russian philosopher Nikolai Federov’s notion of the ‘Common Task’, which envisions the creation of the social and political conditions necessary to achieve technological immortality and material resurrection for all men who have ever lived. For Fedorov museums, having developed preservation and conservation techniques, are the ideal places where such resurrection could take place.
Situated at the entrance of Museo Tamayo and reminiscent of both sarcopharguses and museum vitrines, the modules are assembled into a 6 x 6 and 8m-high hexagonal architectonic structure. After the horizontal system in Beirut, the new structure in Mexico City will become the Museum of Immortality ́s first vertical configuration, resembling a hybrid between mausoleum and space capsule.
Nikolaus Hirsch / Michel Müller, Architects, said: “We are thrilled to show a prototype for the Museum of Immortality in Mexico City. Mexico and its deep fascination with death is a very special context for such a speculative project. Based on theories of cosmism and resurrection by philosopher Boris Groys and artist Anton Vidokle we try to speculate on the physical and conceptual limits of what we call design. We ask: Can we design after-life? Can – as the context of the Museo Tamayo suggests – humans be preserved like museal artifacts?”
Emilio Cabrero, General Director, Design Week Mexico – World Design Capital 2018, said: “Design Week Mexico thrives to present ground-breaking projects to the Mexican audience, by some of the most innovative practitioners working internationally. This year, we are very excited to collaborate again with Museo Tamayo to host Nikolaus Hirsch and Michel Müller, leaders of their fields, and present a highly innovative and significant architectural project, which I am confident will make long-lasting impressions on Mexico City’s residents and visitors alike.” Source by Courtesy of Nikolaus Hirsch / Michel Müller.
- Location: Museo Tamayo / Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico
- Architects: Nikolaus Hirsch / Michel Müller
- Project Team: Nikolaus Hirsch, Michel Müller, Rodrigo Luna, Israel Ruis, Patrick dos Santos Domingos
- Local Architects: CUBICA Arquitectos + LXL Arquitectos
- Client: Design Week Mexico and Museo Tamayo
- Year: 2016
- Photographs: Courtesy of Nikolaus Hirsch / Michel Müller