{"id":28152,"date":"2016-04-19T10:45:36","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T13:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=28152"},"modified":"2017-07-16T21:54:35","modified_gmt":"2017-07-17T00:54:35","slug":"across-the-city-rios-community-museums-under-threat-of-eviction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=28152","title":{"rendered":"Across the City, Rio de Janeiro’s Community Museums are Under Threat of Eviction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Rio de Janeiro\u2019s community museums<\/a> are often overlooked, undervalued and underfunded, but now several are also under threat of\u00a0eviction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“In these museums the point of interest isn\u2019t simply the preservation of objects, the focus is on human relationships. They are museums that consider human life as their greatest heritage,” explains Mario Chagas, museologist and key worker in the establishment of community museums.<\/span><\/p>\n

These museums are often hugely\u00a0important to their communities. Created by residents and local collaborators, often without much support from the state, the museums based in favelas are some of the most innovative and imaginative because they have to think up original solutions to the inherent challenges that arise, instead of relying on large investments.<\/span><\/p>\n

They provide vital multipurpose public spaces which, for example, can host classes for children, public events, and many other beneficial activities.<\/p>\n

\"Film<\/a><\/p>\n

Community museums also play a role in raising the self esteem of a community. Emerson de Souza, museologist,\u00a0Horto<\/a> resident and coordinator of the Museu do Horto<\/a> says, “It\u2019s like I always say to people here. If we don\u2019t give value to our own history, then no one else will either… We have to work on this, for a person\u2019s own self esteem it\u2019s important that they see themselves, that they recognize themselves within the history of humanity.”<\/p>\n

Museu da Mar\u00e9<\/h3>\n

The Museu da Mar\u00e9<\/a> was one of the first community museums of its kind in Rio. Based in Complexo da Mar\u00e9<\/a> in Rio’s North Zone<\/a>, it was opened in May 2006 and now, coming up on\u00a0its\u00a010th anniversary, is facing the threat of eviction<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Run by the NGO CEASM<\/a> (Mar\u00e9 Center of Solidarity Studies and Actions)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>the Museu da Mar\u00e9<\/a> is based in an abandoned factory that community members renovated and transformed into an\u00a0award-winning space. The museum team negotiated with the company that owns the building in order to gain permission to occupy it, and expected their contract would be extended.<\/span><\/p>\n

However despite the museum’s international acclaim and local significance,\u00a0the company has demanded the return of the building and the eviction of the museum without providing an explanation as to why, or offering an alternative.<\/span><\/p>\n

The eviction threats go back to 2014<\/a>.\u00a0Museum organizers and supporters have protested<\/a>\u00a0and plan to fight for the museum to remain. The current date of eviction is set for May 1, International Workers Day, rather\u00a0ironic given\u00a0the museum’s role celebrating the working lives and struggles of favela residents. It is also only one week before\u00a0the museum\u2019s 10th anniversary on May 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Protest<\/a><\/p>\n

Museu da Mar\u00e9\u00a0has earned international recognition\u00a0and its organizers have\u00a0presented their ideas and museum model in the UK, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Mexico, among other countries. In 2006 the museum was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit by the Brazilian government.<\/p>\n

More importantly, the museum is\u00a0a huge success within the community. A library, long and short term exhibition spaces, a computer lab and administration spaces are among the services it offers to residents of Mar\u00e9. \u201cThe visitor and testimonials books are clear indicators of the impact generated by the museum in community life. There are music, dance, theater, handicraft, capoeira and storytelling projects and performances. These, plus\u00a0workshops and seminars, are all part of the day-to-day operation of the museum,\u201d says Chagas. <\/span><\/p>\n

He calls the eviction threat \u201ca total lack of sensibility, a lack of attention to the community, without a thought to the social benefits the museum generates in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Museu de Favela<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Museu da Favela (MUF)<\/a>,\u00a0a leading community museum in the\u00a0South\u00a0Zone<\/a>\u00a0favelas of Cantagalo<\/a> and Pav\u00e3o-Pav\u00e3ozinho<\/a> is also facing the threat of eviction. <\/span><\/p>\n

Described as a “living territorial museum,” all 12 hectares of these favelas are considered part of MUF<\/a>. As well as an open air gallery of muraled\u00a0houses, the headquarters and operations base provides the museum with a vital physical space.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"MUF<\/a><\/p>\n

The headquarters\u00a0hosts exhibitions<\/a>, a library, gift shop, and the administrative center of the museum. It’s\u00a0also used to hold children\u2019s ballet and capoeira classes and has a large terrace where community parties take place and films are screened.<\/span><\/p>\n

The museum team created this base with the help of public funds\u00a0from the Rio de Janeiro Culture Secretariat and federal Ministry of Culture. They entered into\u00a0an agreement with the local Catholic church to reform and use their abandoned upper floor that had been left in disrepair. MUF renovated the second floor and built the terrace and viewpoint.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently the situation has changed following the departure\u00a0of the priest with whom MUF had the agreement and enjoyed a good relationship. His replacement has demanded the return of the second floor of the building and served MUF an eviction notice. The notice threatened the museum with eviction later this month, on April 26.<\/p>\n

\"MUF<\/a><\/p>\n

Created by favela residents and community leaders, MUF has played a central role in the\u00a0community ever since its launch in February 2007. A trail of 27 houses, each painted with colorful graffiti leading visitors through the favelas, documents\u00a0different aspects of the communities\u2019 history from the first settlers on the hill to the struggles of present-day residents. <\/span><\/p>\n

The museum has been a great success. Along with the important function that MUF plays as a community hub, it also plays a role in promoting recognition\u00a0of favela residents\u2019 lives and culture<\/a>. A previous exhibition by MUF, \u2018Women Warriors<\/a>,\u2019 celebrated\u00a0the lives of local women and held a crowdfunding campaign<\/a> to tour the exhibition in Brazil.<\/p>\n

\"MUF<\/p>\n

Museum organizers are optimistic that they can fight the decision and remain in the building. They recently met with a church official to discuss the eviction and argue their case. <\/span><\/p>\n

Museu do Horto<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Museu do\u00a0Horto<\/a> is also a territorial museum which considers the whole community as its site of recognition and preservation, similar to MUF, and which documents the community’s origins going back hundreds of years<\/a>. Created in 2010 by residents, the museum currently does not have a physical space, as the social club where it was based was removed<\/a> in 2014. Instead it exists online<\/a> and on Facebook<\/a>, where its collection of historical documents can be viewed. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Documents<\/a><\/p>\n

Museu do Horto’s coordinator and lifelong community resident\u00a0Emerson de Souza describes the difficulties of operating without a physical base: “It\u2019s complicated because [the museum] doesn\u2019t have the acknowledgment it deserves in the community. People see a museum as somewhere you can visit, and find archives and history, but our museum doesn\u2019t work that way anymore… We have a virtual museum, it\u2019s this I work on, and also the raising of value of the local history and memories in the community.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the lost\u00a0headquarters,\u00a0the museum is now under threat because the territory itself\u00a0is under threat: a large area of the community has been marked for eviction\u00a0in order to increase the area available for the Botanical Garden Institute\u2019s research area. 520 of 619 families have been told their houses will be removed, almost 85% of the community.<\/p>\n

\"Horto<\/a><\/p>\n

Residents and community supporters are\u00a0protesting<\/a>\u00a0to highlight their residents’ struggle against removal, amid fears that eviction notices and misinformation<\/a> are being used to increase psychological pressure<\/a> on residents.<\/span><\/p>\n

The museum has played an important role in the struggle against eviction. Emerson\u00a0de Souza says, “It has helped to give legitimacy [to the community] and proved what many people were saying was wrong: that the residents are invaders of the park<\/a>. Through our research\u00a0we have managed to show the limit of the Botanical Gardens and beyond\u00a0that limit, that the residents have been living here since 1887.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The museum hopes to win the struggle against eviction and once again establish\u00a0a physical space for its work.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas Rio de Janeiro\u2019s community museums are often overlooked, undervalued and underfunded, but now several are also under threat of\u00a0eviction. “In these museums the point of interest isn\u2019t simply the preservation of […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":28175,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1293,1288,1268,1271,329,336,1329],"tags":[9,112,756,258,280,504,221,11,188,884,1160,1349,1346,37,155,2463,156],"writer":[1964],"translator":[],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28152","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-evictionswatch","8":"category-highlight","9":"category-favelaculture","10":"category-favelaqualities","11":"category-solutions","12":"category-violations","13":"category-by-international-observers","14":"tag-9","15":"tag-cantagalo","16":"tag-community-organizing","17":"tag-community-solution","18":"tag-complexo-da-mare","19":"tag-culture","20":"tag-favela-culture","21":"tag-forced-evictions","22":"tag-history","23":"tag-horto","24":"tag-museu-da-mare","25":"tag-museu-de-favela","26":"tag-museu-do-horto","27":"tag-north-zone","28":"tag-pavao-pavaozinho","29":"tag-social-museology","30":"tag-south-zone","31":"writer-rhona-mackay"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28152"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=28152"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=28152"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=28152"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=28152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}