Arms in rings and smiling faces: museum narratives on slavery

ABSTRACT

The transatlantic trafficking of enslaved people and the slavery institution are characterized by a multiplicity of meanings. This article zooms in on the museum, an institution that has been responsible for spreading images and narratives on the subject in Brazil. Our aim is to map and pinpoint the museum spaces dedicated to the theme in the country. Then, by analyzing digital images of collection items available online and texts posted on the social media accounts of the mapped museums, we aim to understand which narratives on slavery are made visible in these spaces. From our findings, the following stand out the almost complete absence of spaces dedicated to disseminating and preserving the memory of slavery, and the hegemonic presence of narratives that highlight the violent dimension of slavery.

KEYWORDS:
Museum; slavery; memory