Reconfiguring the Present, Reinforcing the Past: Perpetuating Enchained Power Relationships through a Private Art Museum

There are many initiatives worldwide that complement or replace decaying industries, usually attracting tourists, boosting the economy and reconfiguring local dynamics. The contemporary art museum and botanical garden Inhotim Institute, located in a quiet mining town in the countryside of Brazil, is yet another case. However, even more than 15 years after its establishment, there is a stark contrast between the museum and its surroundings. To outsiders, the disparity is clear and shocking. Yet, for locals who navigate in and out of the museum, the contrast seems to go unnoticed - or at least unmentioned. They generally view Inhotim favourably as a cradle of opportunities. Based on an ethnography in such a complex context, where mining feeds, engulfs, and (in)directly finances the locals’ lives, this study brings to light the perspectives of insiders and outsiders as they navigate these contrasting realities. Through the lens of neocolonialism, this paper argues that despite proposing cultural accessibility, Inhotim perpetuates relationships of power and dependency, keeping an exploited population enchained to a wealthy elite. The idea of chains allows for looking at the present relationships as a continuation of the coloniality of power through a new organisational form: that of a private art museum.