The collective museum practices of the Museu das Favelas and the exhibition “About Experiences”

Abstract

The text shares the process of constructing the collaborative curation of the long-term exhibition “About Experiences”, especially the selection of museum objects to compose the nascent Favela Museum’s Collection. Based on the premise of bringing different perspectives on the favelas, without romanticization or stereotypes, the institution's museum work is established on basic community principles. Therefore, the application of the theory about the social function of the museum must be reflected in its museum work, which must be collaborative, decolonial and resilient. In the case of the Museu das Favelas, a museum that has been in existence for a little over two years, museum work is interpreted in a broader way, appropriating and being appropriated by its social role. In this way, decolonizing museological practices go against the discourses from the beginning.