The CEsA - Centre for African and Development Studies , in conjunction with National Anthropology Museumin Lisbon, invite you to visit the Deconstructing Colonialism, Decolonizing the Imaginary" exhibition.
The inauguration took place on the 29th October, 2024, in National Anthropology Museum.
The exhibition "Deconstructing Colonialism, Decolonizing the Imaginary", open until November 2, 2025, at the National Museum of Ethnology in Lisbon, aims to present the lines of force of Portuguese colonialism in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries, deconstruct myths, decolonize imaginaries and contribute, in an educational and accessible way, to a renewal of knowledge about the Portuguese colonial question.
The exhibition can be visited at the following times:
- Tuesday, from 14h00 to 18h00 - last entry at 17h30.
- Wednesday to Sunday, 10h00 to 18h00 - last entry at 17h30.
- Closure: Monday.
Tickets: National residents can enjoy 52 days of free annual entry to museums, monuments and palaces, any day of the week. Children under 12 are entitled to free admission. Over 65s and young people up to the age of 24 pay €2.50. The normal ticket costs €5.
The project was conceived and coordinated by historian Isabel Castro Henriquesa researcher at CEsA, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of April 25, underlining the importance of revisiting, reflecting on and understanding the history of Portuguese colonialism in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries in order to build a more inclusive future. It is co-organized by CEsA - Centre for African and Development Studies and by National Anthropology Museumwith support from Commission to Commemorate 50 Years of April 25.
Two central axes structure the exhibition: the power of historical narrative, which draws on the research work of around 30 researchers and the contribution of iconographic documentation provided by Portuguese and foreign entities, to articulate text and image that give voice to historical knowledge; and the voice of African cultures, which through 139 works of art reveals the material evidence of Africa's thoughts and cultures, challenging the stereotypes perpetuated by colonial ideology. This second axis of the exhibition is made up of a selection of works from the collections of the National Museum of Ethnology, pieces on deposit at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and from the collections of Francisco Capelo, Lívio de Morais, Hilaire Balu Kuyangiko and Mónica de Miranda.
The Exhibition's Executive Committee is chaired by Isabel Castro Henriques and includes Inocência Mata, Joana Pereira Leite, João Moreira da Silva, Luca Fazzini and Mariana Castro Henriques, and its Scientific Committee, also chaired by Isabel Castro Henriques, is made up of 20 members, including António Pinto Ribeiro, Aurora Almada Santos, Elsa Peralta, Isabel do Carmo and José Neves.
More information about the exhibition HERE.
