On Thursday, April 7, the Regional Museum of Aysén (MRA) won the LCD Berlin Award 2021/22 for “best new museum” globally in the Latin American category. The accolade was presented by the international organization “Leading Culture Destinations,” which is headquartered in the German capital, in cooperation with VisitBerlin.
The award, which recognizes the museum located in the city of Coyhaique as one of the world's emerging and established cultural destinations, is a recognition of the work carried out by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage through Chile's National Cultural Heritage Service.
“We received this news with great excitement and pride,” says Julieta Brodsky Hernández, Minister of Cultures, adding that “thanks to this award, more people will be able to access and learn about not only the natural wealth that characterizes this place, but also the cultural heritage that defines the territory and its inhabitants. This award also highlights the work done by the museum's staff to preserve and promote the historical and cultural heritage of the region.”
Aiming to connect the arts and tourism, the LCD Berlin Award promotes a dynamic exchange among global cultural and tourism networks. Since 2014, the accolade has recognized various cultural institutions to highlight and position them as exceptional destinations worldwide. The organizing body determined the winner in two stages: the first was conducted by an international committee of experts, and the second was based on the number of views of the promotional videos produced for each participating museum.
The director of the Regional Museum of Aysén, Gustavo Saldivia, noted that “receiving this award is a source of immense joy and pride for our museum and for all the inhabitants of the region. It is a recognition of the commitment the State has made to improving public museum infrastructure, and it is also a valuable showcase to promote the Aysén region as an attractive destination, not only for nature tourism, but also for its cultural heritage.”
The Regional Museum of Aysén began its operations in January 2018 and is currently open to the public for in-person visits or through online virtual tours. Housed in the former facilities of the Sociedad Industrial de Aysén, the iconic museum's mission is to collect, safeguard, study, disseminate, and exhibit the natural and cultural heritage of one of Chile's most isolated regions and its inhabitants. As the minister mentioned, the award “makes visible a line of work that is often under-recognized and carried out with great effort, from spaces that are not always in the central hub, yet have a much greater impact on communities due to their proximity. I think it is very important for Aysén to have achieved an international award of this caliber.”
This article was written by Vania Masalías. The translation is powered by AI.
