The Evictions Museum is an open-air community museum, located in Vila Autódromo, a community in Rio de Janeiro’s west zone.
Conceived by the museologist and social activist Thainã de Medeiros, the Evictions Museum was born as part of the resistance movement against the urban policy adopted in the preparation for the Rio 2016 Olympics. According to data provided by Rio de Janeiro’s City Hall, in the period between 2009 and 2015, the city witnessed the eviction of more than 77,200 people. (Dossier of the Popular Committee for the World Cup and Olympics in Rio de Janeiro). In Vila Autódromo alone, more than 500 families have been evicted.
Founded on May 18, 2016 (International Museum Day), the Evictions Museum presents two main goals: 1) preserving the memory of the people who were evicted, as well as their stories; and 2) serve as an instrument of the struggle, not just for us, but for all those who face the threat of eviction, through the understanding that memory is the greatest instrument in this struggle for resistance.
The Museum also aims to promote events within the scope of artistic resistance, using art to spread, propagate and reflect real situations of oppression, through debates, workshops, theater, exhibitions, projections, soirees, literary fairs, and any other type of artistic expression.
ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EVICTIONS MUSEUM
The construction of the Evictions Museum was attended by students from the undergraduate course in Architecture and Urbanism, at Anhanguera University, under the coordination of professor, architect and urban planner Diana Bogado. Between April and May 2016, students built seven sculptures made from the rubble. Each piece represented a significant place that had been evicted. The choice was made based on memory workshops held with residents, former residents and supporters of Vila Autódromo. From these meetings, affective maps of the community were also produced.
Watch here the videos produced in the period in which the museum was created: