Nuno Silas is one of the curators of the exhibition Olhares Críticos no Arquivo Colonial – Sombras e Memórias [Critical Perspectives on the Colonial Archive – Shadows and Memories], which opened at the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUHNAC) in Lisbon on 23 April. Alongside Silas, Márcio Carvalho and Sophie Kotanyi are also curators.

The artist and PhD candidate at the IHC tells us that this is an “invitation to reflect on memory, historical reparation and the role of museums today”, and that the exhibition stems “from research into the archives of scientific missions in Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique (1940s–50s)”, where “the artists present previously unseen works that explore different contemporary languages.” It includes works by IIídio Candja, Jorgette Dumby, Márcio Carvalho, Osias André, Raquel Lima and Nuno Silas himself.

The MUHNAC website states that the exhibition “presents diverse artistic formats and draws on the public’s encounter with the past to prompt reflections on the preservation of memory, historical reparation and the role of museums as repositories of African cultures” and that it invites critical reflection “on the colonial collections of the Institute for Tropical Scientific Research (IICT), since 2015, at the National Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon”.

It will run until 30 August and is accompanied by a diverse programme of parallel activities, including teacher training, guided tours, concerts, talks and seminars.