Abstract
The Museo Comunitario de Mulaló, located in southwestern Colombia, is the subject of a case study that examines its transformation from a conventional historical museum centred on the national figure Simón Bolívar into a community museum dedicated to the memory, identity, and cultural continuity of the Afro-Colombian population. Originally founded in 1990 to commemorate Bolívar’s brief visits and to honour his horse, Palomo, the museum has undergone a significant reorientation since 2007. Now under local governance, it serves as a site of collective memory that highlights the lived experiences, contributions and struggles of the Afro-Colombian community of Mulaló. This study is situated within broader discourses on the democratisation of heritage, postcolonial museology, and decolonial memory practices. It employs an interdisciplinary methodology integrating ethnographic fieldwork, oral history and critical heritage theory to explore how Bolívar’s legacy is reconfigured – from a heroic national narrative to a symbolic resource rooted in local meaning-making – as part of a wider movement to decolonise memory and restore community agency. The case of the Mulaló Museum forms part of my doctoral research, which examines the role of cultural institutions – including museums and community centres in Cali and its surrounding regions – as agents of ethno-education and Afro-Colombian empowerment. The analysis demonstrates how such spaces challenge exclusionary national narratives and foster participatory approaches to heritage. The museum provides an insight into the transformative power of small, community-driven institutions in Latin America as platforms for social justice and cultural recognition in the postcolonial era.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Community Museum, Afro-Colombian Heritage, Collective Memory, Postcolonial Museology, Decolonial Practices
