Renato Cymbalista: Carving out Memory and Heritage in São Paulo, Brazil

The lecture will introduce issues related to memory and heritage in São Paulo, Brazil. The city and the country entered the 21st century under a quite traditional approach concerning heritage and memory. Essentially, theory, practice and tools were very much based upon the traditional instruments of inventory and listing that had been carved out in the 1930s when IPHAN, the national office for heritage, was created. But in the last two decades an amazing updating is taking place: heritage and memory nowadays are diverse, disseminated and multicenter fields. This development took place due to the contact of activists and bureaucrats with experiences in different cities and countries, a renewal of public policies and practices, and the overtaking of memory as a central subject by activistas and social movements. 

University is having a pivotal role in the renovation of the field, feeding civil society with theory, field research and sources; hosting officers, activists and artists and enabling research and practices, and itself serving as a platform for decolonization.

The Lecture will show examples of recent practices concerning heritage and memory, in public policies and in activism. Will show how memory and heritage are being mobilized in the addressing of the history of crimes against humanity by the military dictature (1964-1985), how the “heritage journey” has been implemented and exercised as heritage day in the city, how LEBTQ memory is being addressed, among other subjects. The lecture will also address how University of São Paulo, the country´s most established university, is addressing issues of memory and reparation.

Renato Cymbalista is an architect and planner. He is a professor at the School of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo (USP) and Director of Human Rights and Policies for Memory, Justice and Reparation at the Provost for Inclusion and Belonging of USP. He sits on the boards of Goethe Institut São Paulo, Casa do Povo and Pinacoteca do  Estado de São Paulo. He takes part in the working group form the making of a memorial in the former clendestine center of detention and torture DOI CODI in São Paulo.  He is one of the founders of the Community Property association – FICA, a non-profit for the acquisition and management of property for social purposes. Author and organizer, among other titles of following books: “The Guide of the Difficult Places in São Paulo”, “What does an Ethical Landlord Look Like?”, and “Cultural Heritage: memory and urban interventions”. He is curator of the “Land Purpose” exhibition. 

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