Monumenti coloniali in Belgio. Luoghi della memoria, dell’oblio, della contestazione

Abstract

This article focuses on the places of memory of colonialism in Belgium. The aim is to analyse the changing meanings attributed to colonial monuments over time and to reflect on the decolonisation of public space. The confrontation with the colonial past is often problematic for former colonialist countries. The case of Belgium is significant for the extreme ways in which it has managed the memory of its colonial experience. From the 1960s to the beginning of the new millennium, colonialism has been almost completely removed from collective memory. Subsequently, the discourse on the colonial past has taken on an unprecedented relevance in public and academic debate. A typical feature of colonial propaganda was the celebration of the conquest in through statues, monuments and toponymy. Today these places of memory of colonialism are debated and controvert. The perception of colonial monuments has changed and the legitimacy of their presence in public space is being questioned. Although the first episodes of protest in Belgium date back to the 2000s, the debate on the decolonisation of public space exploded in 2020, following the protests of the Black Lives Matter movement. These have caused controversies, vandalisms and demands to change street names and remove colonialist monuments that have provoked various reactions and discussions. In Belgium, among the protagonists of this debate, there are also Congolese artists who suggest insights into the relations between past and present and the current consequences of colonialism. Through the analysis of colonial places of memory and actions of decolonisation of public space in Belgium, we intend to investigate the evolution of the collective imagery on colonialism and observe to what extent these operations can contribute to a critical reflection on the colonial past.