A decolonial look at the past, present and future based on the rescue of memories of visitors to the National History Museum (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Abstract

History museums can foster discussions about historical contexts and encourage critical reflections on power relations and values that permeate society, helping to overcome historically constructed prejudices. Knowing the audiences, their perceptions, readings and interpretations, allows the adoption of more efficient communication actions between museums and visitors. Thus, in this qualitative research, we aimed to investigate the memories of the experience of five adult visitors at the National Historical Museum, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, eight months after the visit with their families. The methodology involved the use of a semi-structured interview, with the adoption of the stimulated memory method. The results showed that the exhibition was able to promote long-term impacts, enabling the formation of memorable experiences that favored critical reflections on the part of visitors, mainly on the enslavement of black African populations, slave trade and themes related to the period of the Empire, which still reflect its problems today. It is important for museums to approach historical processes, carrying out adequate contextualization, from a decolonial perspective, which serve to raise awareness, educate and promote a movement to repair and correct the hegemonic narratives perpetuated in society.