Nihilist Nile Crocodile

By Richard Câmara in Madrid, Spain

For the past 3 years I´ve been frequently going on my own to draw all kinds of animals at the National Natural Science Museum (MNCN) in Madrid. And being there looking at those stuffed animals, believe it or not, has given me an odd and unique opportunity to observe live people and how they behave.

The people I´m referring to are not only adult visitors, alone or with their families, that wonder by the museum, but specially children that regularly visit the MNCN in school trips. It is very common that as I am spotted sketching by these children, as it happened last week in front of this astonished looking open mouth crocodile of the Nile, many of them plan to stop and watch, ask questions, making all kinds of inquisitive remarks and trying to learn from it. In the same way that most teachers present, unfortunately order them to “not disturb”, “keep a distance”, “move on”, “be quiet” and pretend nothing never happened… I immediately offer myself to show them what I´ve done and answer the kids questions, but sometimes not even my availability is enough to make a change in the teachers behaviour.

Isn´t this dreadful?!? What is the point of a school trip if the only thing they seem to be allowed to do is to march in a military rhythm throughout the museum´s corridors hardly stopping anywhere? As if the solo purpose of their visit is to keep up a schedule no matter what !?

Many of those adults that I mentioned earlier, some of them parents with their own kids, behave with the same fear of asking, trying their best to avoid any eye contact, either with me or with the drawing being made, showing no interest or curiosity and passing by me as if I wasn´t there in the first place. Adults that were once children and that most probably were taught to “stop asking questions” as a part of their schooling and growing up process. And this odd unhealthy behaviour passes on to their children…

I wish this post could reach all the teachers and parents and remind them that children at school and at home should be heard and treated differently, encouraged to be inquisitive and not being afraid to ask questions, make mistakes and learn from them. The same way I go to the museum once a week on my own to draw animals, with the solo purpose to do something I like, embracing any mistakes done in the process of sketching, because I will discover new things from it and fortunately learn a lot from them.