Mariposa Monarca – Ein Schmetterling als Migrant

In the organizer's words:

Every fall, up to 60 million monarch butterflies come to the forests of Michoacán in central Mexico to spend the winter. Their journey is spectacular. Coming from the north-east of the USA and Canada, they travel up to 4,500 kilometers to reach their wintering grounds. There they spend the winter in semi-hibernation and flutter awake when the sun warms them - then a fascinating spectacle in orange-yellow appears in the sky of the biosphere reserve.

As the first monarch butterflies flutter in at the beginning of November for the festival of the dead, there is a widespread belief among the indigenous Mazahua, Otomí and Purépecha peoples that they are the souls of the deceased returning. They are revered and welcomed.

Before the butterflies set off on their return journey in spring, they mate and lay their eggs on silk plants on their way north. Up to four generations die on the outward and return flight, and just as many are born en route.

The migratory monarch butterfly is a mystery. We don't know exactly why it takes on the hardships of migration. However, compared to its non-migratory conspecifics, which also exist, it is remarkably robust and resilient. Some only live for two to six weeks, whereas the migratory monarch butterfly has a life expectancy of up to nine months.

A memory project by Calaca .V. that reflects on its own history using family and everyday photographs from many years of continuous work. The aim is to create a "collage of memory" that also includes newspaper clippings and relevant documents, thereby making visible the different historical contexts that have shaped and accompanied the association.

Album de Familia (Family Album) presents itself as a simple yet meaningful visual installation. It invites the public to encounter both the intimate and communal aspects of a cultural association that has helped shape Berlin's cultural life for over three decades.

Curation: Jorge Tadeo Baldeón

Photographer: Mario Vázquez

born in Mexico, has lived in Berlin for over 30 years and works as an actor, visual artist and photographer. He is the initiator of the Mexican Festival of the Dead in Berlin, a founding member of Calaca e.V. and was the artistic director of the Mexican Festival of the Dead for many years. He trained as an actor at the Escuela Nacional Mascarones in Mexico and was a member of the ensemble for 13 years. As an actor, he was involved in all Calaca e.V. productions. As a director, he has staged the music and shadow theater Franziska and Death and Journey to Mictlán, among others.

Curation: Isabel Ibáñez

Isabel Ibáñez Goméz was born in Regensburg and is an architect. In addition to her profession, she is intensively involved in photography and art. She has been a member of Calaca e.V. since 2021, but was already regularly active at the Totenfest through her family for many years before that. Within the association, she is responsible for decorations, graphics and the design of the photo exhibition.

- Day or evening ticket Fiesta de Día de Muertos required

- 7 EUR, reduced 3.50 EUR

- Mechanical arena in the foyer

- Belongs to: Fiesta de Día de Muertos