Invoking historic memory through public engagement with artistic interventions. A case study in Guatemala

• In Event: Arts, History and Memory

Abstract

Today, the notions of historic and collective memory can be highly problematic: They may often function as cultural tools at the service of power institutions towards the imposition of dominant narratives and the erasure of difference. However, they remain key to processes of identity building and solidarity at the individual and community level. Scholars, activists, and individuals from the most diverse fields strive to reconcile elements of both visions in a deep, multilayered and multivocal space, allowing for marginal narratives and alternative epistemologies to emerge. Contemporary visions of remembering demand new approaches to understanding this complex weave of overlapping narratives in constant interaction. It is in this context that art and design can act as devices through which people can explore, contest, and rethink the relationship between sanctioned histories and personal memories.

¿Después de qué? Historias Paralelas, Ka’i’ K’atun, and Timeline of Guatemalan Arts and Socio-Political History (1955-2015) –three participatory installations included in the exhibit Guatemala Después (USA/Guatemala, 2015)– illustrate how artistic interventions can affect diverse public, sparking critical reflection, debate, revision, and reimagination of history, collective memory, and identity.

How can we facilitate discussion around the relationship and interactions between history and collective memory? Where are the limits between collective memory and collective instruction? Is it possible to talk about a country’s history in a way that different narratives can be admitted and simultaneously represented? This paper will draw from texts from memory studies, cultural critique, and media theory to tackle these questions.

Author

• Nelesi Rodriguez