The re-imagination of museums

: towards decoloniality in contemporary art museums in Central America and the Caribbean

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore decoloniality in contemporary art museums in Central America and the Caribbean. Specifically, to investigate to what extent coloniality is still present in Guatemala and Puerto Rico and how this relates to decolonial efforts in their contemporary art museums. This research is a documentation effort to take decolonial theory created mostly in and by the Global South and see how it is being discussed, practiced and applied in the Global South, particularly, Central America and the Caribbean. By emphasizing the expanding knowledge and investigative endeavors emerging from this area, this research aims to enrich the pluriversality of existing narratives. The research first reviews existing theory on museums, decoloniality and current decolonial efforts in museums. It then delves into two case studies, which are examined using textual analysis and qualitative research methods such as semi-structured expert interviews to assess the research questions: how is coloniality still present in Guatemala and Puerto Rico? And how does this relate to decolonial efforts in their contemporary art museums? At the end, I will be discussing the findings on the role of community, the reclaiming of silenced narratives and how museums find themselves confronted with a myriad of contradictions when decentering from established norms by coloniality and in the pursuit of genuine commitment to dismantling colonial legacies.

Date of Award	26 Mar 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Diana Gonçalves (Supervisor)