Containers Of Forgetfulness?

A Critical Reflection About Ethnographic Museum Storages and Their (Difficult) Decolonization

Abstract

It is undeniable that, in recent decades, many ethnographic museums have committed to modifying many of their practices and have launched different initiatives aimed at transforming these spaces into more inclusive, participatory, and above all, polyphonic environments. Although the idea of ​​the museum as a temple of knowledge and as a space inaccessible to the uninitiated has become a marginal paradigm, it is no less true that within a good number of these institutions there still exists an (almost) sacred enclave that escapes these (new) logics of openness and integration. We are referring to the storage areas where the collections are preserved. In this work, we address the (particular) nature of these spaces, characterized by the physical and symbolic control of the collections. The analysis of their management and organization will allow us to highlight how a deeply traditional view of heritage is perpetuated and reinforced within them. At the same time, we will demonstrate how, despite being places of memory, they often become spaces that confine and neutralize it. Finally, we will conclude with a reflection on the possible paths to follow to prevent them from becoming obstacles to advancing the decolonization processes.