Memorias que re-existen: dos procesos de co-creación, el salón del nunca más y “voces para transformar a Colombia”

Abstract

This thesis examines the function of historical memory within the framework of the Colombian armed conflict, investigating how museological practices can illuminate the perspectives of victims as manifestations of social agency of memory. Two emblematic cases are addressed: the Salón del Nunca Más in Granada, Antioquia, and the exhibition Voices for Transform Colombia at the National Museum of Memory. Both spaces are studied as scenarios where victims reframe their pain into resistance and dignity, challenging official narratives and power structures. The central problem lies in investigating how these spaces enable the visibility of victims’ voices while also recognizing their internal and external tensions, as well as their scope and limitations. From this perspective, the general objective is to analyze the Salón del Nunca Más and Voices for The Transform of Colombia as examples of socially mediated memory, exploring their constitution and social, cultural, and political impact. The methodology combines critical museology and research-creation approaches. Emphasis is placed on deep listening and co-creation through workshops with affected communities, enabling the construction of collective narratives where victims are protagonists. These processes highlighted the importance of art as a mediator of memory and as a transformative tool that connects individual and collective memories. In the Salón del Nunca Más, a community museum reframes pain through objects and narratives that strengthen social cohesion and empower victims. In Voices to Transform Colombia, conceived as an itinerant laboratory, territorial resistance intertwines with structural violence, facing political tensions by confronting official discourses. In conclusion, this research reaffirms that memory is a transformative political process capable of generating inclusive narratives, promoting social justice, and projecting more equitable futures through an ethical and participatory museology.