BETWEEN CORRIDORS: TALES OF APPARITIONS AND GHOSTS
15/03/2024
By By Victor Echeverría
Museums contain years of history within their walls and some believe that these wonderful institutions are the home of souls lost among antiquities. In the Canal Museum there are those who swear that they have witnessed inexplicable phenomena, silhouettes that slide between the exhibitions, voices that call by name, among others.
If you have had the opportunity to visit the museum during off-peak hours and with few visitors, you have surely heard the sound of your steps as you walk through the empty rooms or perhaps a portrait that follows you with its gaze. Welcome to the intriguing world of aparitions and ghosts in the museum!
Entre las fascinantes historias que he escuchado, destaca el caso de «activación de audiovisuales». Normalmente, estos aparatos requieren la intervención del personal para ponerse en marcha, pero en ocasiones, parecen activarse misteriosamente durante eventos nocturnos. También se mencionan los «llamados por nombre». Este fenómeno no se limita a las salas de exposiciones. Algunas narraciones más asombrosas involucran ver siluetas caminar por las salas o la sensación de ser observado desde algún rincón, solo para descubrir que el espacio está vacío al buscar su origen. Sin embargo, una de las anécdotas más inquietantes proviene de un agente de atención al visitante que asegura haber sentido «un toque en el hombro». Al girarse para atender, se encuentra con una sala completamente desierta.
The other anecdote involves two of our past graphic designers who stayed late working to advance a project. While concentrating on their work, they noticed through the reflection of the office windows the presence of a white figure that seemed to be walking behind them. Initially, they assumed that it was the conservator dressed in his characteristic work coat, and did not give it much importance. It was only upon inquiring later that they discovered that the conservator had not attended work that day. Surprised and somewhat restless, they decided to finish their work early the next day.
I have dedicated 25 years of my life to the Canal Museum, and fortunately, I have never had the opportunity to witness any inexplicable phenomenon (knock on wood!). However, on several occasions I have heard my name called by someone. Maybe it's just my subconscious resonating from the years of my mother calling me during my youthful antics.
There are reports from some museum employees around the world who claim to have witnessed paintings that change subtly, portraits that follow with their gaze, or feeling a sudden change in temperature. Although the scientific explanation maintains that these perceptions are mere tricks of the mind, the persistence of these stories has created an aura of mystery around certain pieces or places. In conclusion, museums are guardians of history and art, they also house stories of the inexplicable. Are these apparitions the fruit of our imagination, the result of hours of stress or truly manifestations of the afterlife? The answer, like the shadows in the rooms, remains shrouded in mystery.
PS: Anyone interested in night visits to the Canal Museum?
