“A living collection is a collection in relation”: interview with José Eduardo Ferreira Santos on the Acervo da Laje

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2525-8354.v19i19p168-194

Keywords:

Social Museology, Memory, Periphery, Education, Curatorship, Acervo da Laje

Abstract

This interview with José Eduardo Ferreira Santos offers a detailed and moving portrait of the Acervo da Laje – a community-based initiative founded in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil) by José Eduardo and Vilma Santos. Conceived as a House-Museum-School, over the past fifteen years the Acervo has developed into a vibrant site for the preservation, activation, and circulation of peripheral, Black, and popular memories. Grounded in listening, research, and everyday pedagogy, it puts forward a living museology shaped by belonging, care, and aesthetic experience. Throughout the conversation, José Eduardo reflects on the assembling of collections, the importance of the Subúrbio Ferroviário de Salvador, the educational dimension of the project, curatorial approaches rooted in astonishment, and the interplay between material and immaterial heritage. He also addresses institutional partnerships, sustainability, and the role of the Acervo in creating spaces for collective memory-making. The interview stands as a powerful testimony to grounded, politically committed museum practices.

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References

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Published

2025-12-19

How to Cite

Rodrigues, A. C. R. (2025). “A living collection is a collection in relation”: interview with José Eduardo Ferreira Santos on the Acervo da Laje. ARA Journal, 19(19), 168-194. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2525-8354.v19i19p168-194