Abstract
The aims of this article is to show how, in the context of the armed conflict in Colombia, the Colombian diaspora in Europe, through some of its artistic expressions, offers an important contribution to the construction of the collective memory of the country. Four art proposals with a strong performative value are compared by means of content analysis: a theatre piece and three performances that combine dance, music, photography and video. The art works are focused on the armed conflict victims have a very strong emotional charge: they aspire to inform and to report traumatic events made invisible by the official narrative, essential for the reconstruction of a plural and inclusive collective memory. The artistic proposals demonstrate how art, with its reflective communication, is capable of triggering, among the participating public, transformation processes of individual and collective thought structures; which highlights its potential as a critical and a political act.
Keywords:
collective memory; armed conflict; Colombia; diaspora; art