Museums and Romani narratives Decolonising, participating, transforming

This thesis analyses the exhibition Barvalo. Roms, Sinti, Manouches, Gitanos, Travellers, presented at the Mucem in 2023, as a research case through which to examine the issues of participation and the decolonisation of museum narratives. Attracting over 100,000 visitors, Barvalo aimed to highlight Romani cultures while deconstructing stereotypes and antigypsyism that remain deeply embedded in European museum discourse. Beyond the exhibition itself, the project also included ethnographic surveys and a critical reassessment of the museum’s Romani collections.
The originality of Barvalo lies in its participatory approach, inspired by decolonial practices developed notably in New Zealand and North America, and based on close collaboration between Romani and non-Romani experts. This methodology represents a break with paternalistic museum practices, while also revealing the tensions and power dynamics inherent in such processes. The thesis therefore examines the practical and theoretical challenges of co-creation, the representation of Roma in museums, and the concrete implications of decolonising cultural institutions.
Structured in three parts, the research draws on theoretical frameworks of participation, activism, and care; analyses the historical construction of the figure of the “gypsy” and its roots in Orientalist narratives; and examines Barvalo as a model of co-creation shaped by institutional constraints. It highlights the role of Romani artivism in reclaiming narratives and demonstrates that, by adopting decolonial and participatory practices, museums can become critical, polyvocal, and socially engaged spaces.