A História e a Tradição Institucional na Concepção da Exposição “Biodiveridade: Conhecer para Preservar” do Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo

This work proposes to understand the process of producing exhibition discourse with a focus on biological diversity in the exhibition “Biodiversity: knowing to preserve”, at the Zoology Museum of the University of São Paulo (MZUSP), taking its exhibitory and institutional history as a starting point. For this undertaking, documentary sources and oral statements from six subjects who were involved in the preparation and conception of the exhibition were used. In addition, descriptions of exhibitions prior to the one studied here were consulted. By cross-checking these data, it was possible to identify that institutional research, former exhibitions, their objects, certain content, knowledge and narratives, the theme of biodiversity and the academic traditions that belong to the universe of Natural History museums were significant components in the composition of the exhibition discourse of the current exhibition. Finally, it can be seen that the MZUSP is a space for memory and that it does indeed appear to fulfil the role of maintaining and transmitting a particular cultural heritage related to the paths of Natural History, Biology, Taxonomy and the particular knowledge of the craft of taxidermy. This demonstrates that the process of preparing the new exhibition did not “inaugurate” or create a “purely” genuine narrative about biodiversity, but rather that it produced new directions based on the previous narrative and on other repertories in the knowledge and practices of its creators.