Françoise Vergès Critiques Museum Colonialism in São Paulo Interview

French activist and thinker Françoise Vergès, in an exclusive October interview in São Paulo, argues that museums remain trapped in hierarchical and patriarchal systems despite anti-colonial rhetoric. Her 2023 book "Decolonizar o Museu – programa de desordem absoluta" analyzes this persistent contradiction. Visiting during the launch of her publication and various talks across Brazil, Vergès observed São Paulo's Bienal, which featured a majority-Black curatorial team for the first time, and other local exhibitions seeking reparative meaning. She asserts that merely exhibiting "decolonial" works or diversifying wall displays is insufficient, calling instead for a radical leap of imagination beyond Western norms. Vergès points to poor working conditions reported by São Paulo Bienal staff as another urgent issue, emphasizing the need to fully respect all workers and challenge hierarchies of gender, class, race, and religion. She reflects that true spaces of freedom, like the Ocupação 9 de Julho which hosts the show "Refundação," often exist outside traditional museums and biennials. While acknowledging positive aspects like the inclusion of the Homeless Workers' Movement at the Bienal, she maintains that the institution itself imposes limits. Vergès cites the 2022 documenta fifteen as an example of challenging the system by radically rethinking space usage, but ultimately advocates for community-led initiatives, such as a neighborhood biennial curated by local residents.