Museo Moderno Buenos Aires' Three Strategies to Decolonise the South
On February 1, 2021, Victoria Noorthoorn, who heads the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, shared an essay in Afterall that outlines three strategies the museum employs for decolonization. It pushes back against dominant Euro-North American art norms, as seen in the 'A Tale of Two Worlds' exhibition from 2017 to 2018, which was co-curated with MMK Frankfurt. The focus is on Argentine art stories, particularly through 'Una historia de la imaginación en la Argentina' in 2019, featuring 250 local artworks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum created #MuseoModernoEnCasa with twenty online programs, including #PaísImaginado, showcasing 23 artists. After George Floyd's death and a local police incident, #SobreRacismos was launched from September 21 to October 11, 2020, which included a program on racism, informed by Fabiola Heredia's insights. The essay argues that genuine decolonization involves questioning Western-centric hierarchies.
Key facts
- Essay by Victoria Noorthoorn published 1 February 2021 by Afterall.
- Part of ArtSchool's Decolonisation in the 2020s series.
- Partners: Museu de Arte de São Paulo, UAL's Decolonising Arts Institute, Goldsmiths Department of Visual Cultures.
- Exhibition 'A Tale of Two Worlds' (2017–2018) co-curated with MMK Frankfurt, included 105 works from Moderno collection, 75 from MMK, 487 on loan.
- Exhibition 'Una historia de la imaginación en la Argentina' (2019) featured 250 works from public and private collections.
- Museo Moderno has opened 65 exhibitions of Argentine artists since 2013.
- Police violence against Q'om community in Fontana, Chaco Province on 31 May 2020.
- Programme #SobreRacismos ran 21 September–11 October 2020, included ¿Soy racista?
- Study on racism in Argentina commissioned; Fabiola Heredia of Museo de Antropología, UNC advised.
- Museum closed March–October 2020 due to COVID-19; launched #MuseoModernoEnCasa with 20 virtual programmes.
Entities
Artists
- Victoria Noorthoorn
- Javier Villa
- Klaus Görner
- Fabiola Heredia
- Washington Cucurto
- Sandro Pereira
- Dudu Quintanilha
- Lucía Reissig
- Bernardo Zabalaga
- Yasmin Thayná
- Judi Werthein
- George Floyd
Institutions
- Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires
- Afterall
- ArtSchool
- Museu de Arte de São Paulo
- UAL's Decolonising Arts Institute
- Goldsmiths Department of Visual Cultures
- Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK) Frankfurt
- Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation)
- Buenos Aires City Government
- Museo de Antropología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
- Diáspora Africana de la Argentina (DIAFAR)
- Identidad Marrón
Locations
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Frankfurt
- Germany
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- London
- United Kingdom
- Fontana
- Chaco Province
- Jujuy
- Tierra del Fuego
- Córdoba
Sources
- Afterall —