Vasculhando os baús de memórias: objetos guardados nas residências de pessoas da zona rural de Pelotas e seu potencial emotivo

Abstract

This study investigates the complex relationship between objects, memory, identity, territory, and rurality in the rural area of Pelotas, focusing on objects not donated to local museums. The central premise is that these objects carry strong emotional charges, representing family ties, traditions, and life experiences, motivating their retention by residents. It explores the affective and memorial dimension of these objects, seeking to understand how they act as extensions of individual and collective memory, connecting past and present. Using interviews with some residents, it identifies the various emotions involved in this relationship, which transcend simple affection, encompassing resentment, longing, and a strong sense of belonging. The proposal for musealization in the private sphere emerges as an alternative to preserve these memories, decentralizing the role of the traditional museum and valuing individual narratives. The research demonstrates that the refusal to donate does not imply disinterest in preservation, but rather the desire to maintain control over one's own stories and preserve an affective heritage linked to identity. The study analyzes the transformation of objects into "semiophores" (Pomian, 1984), the importance of community participation in heritage construction (Gonçalves, 2005, 1966), the role of objects as memory mediators (Nery and Ferreira, 2013; Brahm, 2017), the influence of the perception of time in rurality (Elias, 1990; Lefebvre, 2001), and the role of the elderly as "guardians of memory" (Bosi, 1994; Bezerra, 2013). It also addresses different forms of collecting, disputes over memory, and power relations in cultural institutions. The research contributes to museology by expanding the concept of musealization beyond institutional spaces, proposing a more inclusive approach that values individual memories, local narratives, and the cultural heritage of rural communities. It dialogues with authors such as Brulon (2018), Cury (2005), Santos Gonçalves (2006, 2011), Geertz, De Certeau, Pollak, Baudrillard, Mauss (1925), Debary (2010), Bataille (1949), Brahm (2017, 2021), Oliveira (2019), Wallon (1972), Scheler (2009), and Velthem (2017). Although focused on the rural area of Pelotas, its findings can inspire research in other rural communities, exploring private musealization for memory preservation.