Between April and May of 1954, the Ethnological Museum of Barcelona, which had been inaugurated in 1949, embarked on one of its most ambitious expeditions to the protectorate of Morocco. Sculptor Eudald Serra, a key member of this expedition, aimed to create a nude bust but faced significant challenges due to local laws and moral standards that made it impossible to find a woman willing to pose. Undeterred, Serra sought to exploit the absolute power of colonial authority. With the collaboration of Spanish officials, he visited prisons, reformatories, and 'public houses,' systematically and deliberately using sex workers as models, thus capitalizing on their extreme vulnerability within a colonial context.
The memoirs of August Panyella, the director of the Ethnological Museum at the time, express admiration for Eudald Serra's work, particularly his preference for models without any form of 'mestizaje' or mixed heritage. Men were selected with the help of Spanish authorities from military barracks or prison cells. Notably, Serra was able to sculpt within a prison in Tétouan, where he acknowledged the assistance of the prison director. He highlighted that some women were incarcerated for 'illegitimate pregnancy.' The resulting nude bust is now part of the Ethnological Museum's collection and is one of the 3,397 colonial artifacts identified by the (Tr)african(t)s research project across six Catalan museums, including the Ethnological and World Cultures Museum, the Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona, and others. This collection ranges from photographs to hunting traps, weapons, musical instruments, funerary objects, tools, masks, and sculptures, predominantly sourced from former Spanish Guinea, Morocco, the Philippines, and the Sahara.
The research team documents their findings in the book titled Espectres de la vitrina (Manifest), aiming to challenge and reshape the current museum landscape. Andrés Antebi, a member of the project, notes, 'We have found a more favorable environment for critical review in Catalonia than in Madrid, where there is significant public resistance.' Some museums are initiating processes related to this critical review, while others, like the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia, which are not included in the initial phase of the research, express a desire to collaborate. Unlike countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, the Catalan context presents unique challenges and opportunities for addressing colonial legacies.
Another case highlights a carving attributed to the workshop of the master Fang Ndutumu Singó. This piece entered the museum after passing through the hands of Miguel Núñez de Prado, who served as the governor of Spanish Guinea from 1925 to 1931. The provenance of this object, ultimately purchased by the Generalitat in 1936 from the governor's widow, exemplifies how heritage circulated among colonial elites before being displayed in public exhibitions.
The (Tr)african(t)s project presents a clear diagnosis: there is a pressing need to decolonize the perspective within museums. The research argues that many sacred objects are displayed out of context, reinforcing outdated narratives of 'civilization versus savagery.' 'The project's proposal aims to integrate communities of origin into decision-making bodies and to review documentation that is often inadequate,' Antebi explains. Ultimately, the research calls on museums to transform from mere storage sites for colonial pasts into institutions that accurately convey the origins of many of these artifacts. 'We aim to create social impact through a book, a traveling exhibition, and a documentary,' Antebi adds. The study also concludes that there is a notable reluctance to acknowledge the involvement of Spanish colonialism. 'There exists resistance to recognizing this involvement, both from Spanish nationalism and from certain segments of Catalan nationalism, which argue that since Catalonia did not have its own state during the period when Spain colonized the Americas, Africa, and the Pacific, there is no Catalan responsibility for these actions,' the report states.
As reported by es.ara.cat.
