In this regard , we must mention the existence of a first ongoing project that analyses and problematises the origin of the collections of seven Catalan museums , the ( Tr ) afican ( t ) s project ( Solidarity Foundation of the UB ). " ( Tr ) african ( t ) s . Museums and Collections in Catalonia in the Face of Coloniality ", [ 10 ] which has been running since January 2023 , is a pioneering initiative that aims to trace the origin and conditions of acquisition of pieces and collections that come from the Spanish colonial empire or from African states that , while not strictly speaking part of this empire , maintain an intense post-colonial relationship with Catalonia ( Equatorial Guinea , Morocco , the Philippines , Nigeria and Senegal ). With this project , the research team seeks at the same time to highlight the processes of compulsive accumulation that European museums have been involved in and concealed until now and which , precisely now , in the face of the political and symbolic pressure exerted by communities of African descent , they are forced to rethink . On the basis of archival work , the project analyses the collections of a selection of institutions belonging to the public network of museums in Catalonia in order to establish the bases for a reformulation and reinterpretation . Another of the fundamental objectives of the initiative is to make all the information on the origin of these collections available to the agents involved , both in Catalonia and in the countries that were subject to despoilment during colonisation , in order to open channels of access to the heritage and to facilitate possible demands for restitution and processes of resignification . In addition to this initiative , the Ministry of Culture has announced the creation of a commission for the decolonisation of museums , which warns us that these initiatives are likely to have greater potential in the coming years .
In the category related to the removal of monuments , there is again a strong territorial bias , with more than half of the initiatives being concentrated in Catalonia . These actions have been mainly focused on the replacement of monuments or streets dedicated to slaveholders . In addition to the abovementioned factors regarding the possible reasons for this imbalance , it is important to highlight the fundamental role of research in this context . In recent years , there has been a proliferation of studies on the slaveholding and colonial past in Catalonia , such as those carried out by Martín Rodrigo on the Marquess of Comillas or Gustau Nerín on the Catalan slave traders .[ 11 ] These works have had a significant impact on raising awareness and increasing knowledge about this past . It is relevant to question to what extent dissemination through conferences , seminars , routes and documentaries has influenced the degree of consensus , even if this has been controversial , on issues such as the removal of the Antonio López monument . This reflection is crucial on a strategic level , especially if we consider that the reparation movements also demand reforms in school curricula and the creation of interpretive centres that facilitate a critical and problematised understanding of these pasts .
[ 10 ] FSUB ( 23 December 2022 ). ( Tr ) african ( t ) s will analyse pieces and collections from museums in Catalonia linked to coloniality , SFUB . Available at : https :// www . solidaritat . ub . edu / projecte-trafricants / [ 11 ] See : Martín Rodrigo : Un hombre , mil negocios . La controvertida historia de Antonio López , marqués de Comillas , Ariel , Barcelona , 2021 and Gustau Nerin : Traficants d ’ ànimes , Pòrtic Edicions , 2018 .
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