Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
You need to be logged in to avail of this functionality.
Log in
- Convenors:
-
Ulla Savolainen
(University of Helsinki)
Kirsti Jõesalu (University of Tartu)
Elo-Hanna Seljamaa (University of Tartu)
Send message to Convenors
- Chairs:
-
Ulla Savolainen
(University of Helsinki)
Kirsti Jõesalu (University of Tartu)
Elo-Hanna Seljamaa (University of Tartu)
- Format:
- Panel
Short Abstract:
This panel invites participants to explore various forms of memory activism, asking what cultural researchers can bring to this growing field of inquiry, what the study of social movements has to offer these disciplines, and what are the lessons in unwriting that activists can teach scholars.
Long Abstract:
Struggles and social movements surrounding history, questions of ownership and appropriation of tradition, and difficult cultural heritage have received increasing scholarly attention in several interdisciplinary research fields in recent years. Often characterized by both globally circulating themes, aesthetics, and modes of action, as well as local concerns, these diverse forms of action, recently epitomized as “memory activism” (e.g. Gutman & Wüstenberg 2023), aim to generate mnemonic change and redress lingering injustices caused by historical wrongs, epistemic ignorance, and hegemonic (national/imperial) memory cultures and heritages – or to prevent change. As disciplines with a special focus on the vernacular interplay between institutional and grassroots actors and expressions in cultural reproduction, folklore studies, ethnology, and anthropology are of obvious relevance to the study of contemporary social movements and memory activism. This panel examines various forms of memory activism and related phenomena, inviting participants to explore and to rethink what cultural researchers can bring to this growing field of inquiry, what the study of social movements has to offer these disciplines, and what are the lessons that activists can teach scholars. Papers with theoretical, methodological, empirical, or case-study approaches are encouraged to consider, among others, the role of folklorists/ethnologists as activists and/or researchers; the role of folklore/heritage in memory activism; negotiations of conflicting temporal ideologies, perceptions of and claims to history against the background of unfolding transnational tensions; the role of social media in social movements; the perils and gains of studying social movements.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Paper Short Abstract:
This paper explores unwriting and memory activism, examining the site-based work of Palestinian choreographer Shaden Abu Elasal and the dance ethnographer’s praxis. Through performances of Palestinian women dancing in modern local cities, Abu Elasal retrieves memory and reclaims space and history.
Paper Abstract:
Manar Hasan employed the term “memoricide” in reference to the 1948 war and the process by which the destruction of the Palestinian cities obliterated from collective consciousness not only the cities but also the women who once lived and played highly visible roles within them. This paper enters into conversation with Hasan’s argument through an exploration of the site-based work of Palestinian choreographer Shaden Abu Elasal as memory activism and a form of unwriting Zionist constructions of space and memory, and my role as a dance ethnographer and activist in documenting, interpreting and theorizing her work. I show how by reintroducing specifically Palestinian women dancers as elements of “flesh and stone” of urban settings, Abu Elasal resurrects both the city and the women, revealing the obscured and retrieving the forgotten. Within the ongoing struggle in Israel/Palestine over narrative, memory and consciousness, and within a political climate that denies, silences and censors expressions of collective Palestinian identity, Abu Elasal employs dance as a nonverbal means of expression and presence, free from the chains and risks of language. Finally, in turning the lens to my own practice of writing moving bodies, I suggest that this minute praxis gives form and structure to experience – in this case Abu Elasal’s simultaneous rerooting and uprooting, reentering and transcending the land through dances that serve to reinforce Palestinian presence and identity.
Paper Short Abstract:
This paper looks at the mnemonic practices of the far-right in Germany on social media platforms, particularly on Instagram. The contribution aims at examining how digital platforms are leveraged to construct, disseminate, and normalize contested historical narratives.
Paper Abstract:
Memory activism is not exclusively used to promote pluralised histories or to foster democratic interpretations of the past for the present. Far-right groups also engage in past-presencing to advance their own values (Macdonald 2012, Bevernage et al. 2024). Building upon empirical case studies, this paper looks at the mnemonic practices of the far-right in Germany on social media platforms, particularly on Instagram. The contribution aims to examine how digital platforms are leveraged to construct, disseminate, and normalize contested historical narratives. Far-right groups use visual, textual, and symbolic content here in a particular way to engage in memory activism to shape collective memory and identity. These actors reinterpret Germany's past, invoking nationalist myths, glorifying selective historical episodes, and challenging established narratives of guilt and reconciliation tied to World War II and the Holocaust (Valencia-García 2020). The platform’s visual and interactive affordances, including stories, reels, and hashtags, enable the curation of affectively charged and easily shareable content that resonates with diverse audiences. Through a mixed-methods approach combining digital ethnography and content analysis, the research highlights the interplay between nostalgia, visual culture, and far-right ideology in a digital age.
Paper Short Abstract:
By approaching the recent attack on the Elias Lönnrot statue in Helsinki as an example of memory activism, the paper explores how memory, temporality, and (in)justice, and themes related to colonialism, WWII, and Karelianness, were reflected in the public discussions surrounding the intervention.
Paper Abstract:
Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884) was a physician, philologist, linguist, collector of oral poetry, and the creator of the Kalevala (1835/1849), the national epic of Finland. The bronze statue of Lönnrot, created by Emil Wikström, was erected and unveiled in the center of Helsinki in 1902. In August 2024, the statue of Elias Lönnrot was attacked. Red paint resembling blood was splattered on the statue, dripping from Lönnrot’s pen, and letters inscribed with the word “KOLONIALISTI” appeared on it. Very soon, it was noted that an anonymous collective of Karelian activists, Ruškiemustu, had published a statement highlighting that, instead of being celebrated, the Kalevala should be recognized as a symbol of the long-lasting oppression of the Karelians for the purposes of Finnish nationalism. Subsequently, a short-lived public discussion about the intervention began. In my presentation, I will approach the attack on Lönnrot’s statue as an example of memory activism. By analyzing the activists’ statement regarding the attack, the ensuing media discussion, and contextualizing these within the broader mnemonic resources and gaps related to Karelia and Karelianness in Finland, I will explore the negotiations surrounding memory, temporality, and social (in)justice reflected in these discussions. I will analyze how themes related to colonialism, World War II, and Karelianness, as raised by Ruškiemustu in their statement, were reflected in public discourse.
Paper Short Abstract:
The presentation focus on the memory activism, which, using the collection of the Shevchenko Library and Archive, aims to change the stereotypical image of Ukraine in British society. The concept of “memory activism”, along with the concepts of “communicative and cultural memory” and “places of memory”, are key to the research methodology.
Paper Abstract:
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 did more to transform British perceptions of Ukraine in a very short time than any other event in recent history. As a result, British society is discovering Ukraine as a sovereign state fighting against Russian aggression for its independence. Previously, however, Ukraine was perceived by most Britons as naturally part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union and was not recognized as a separate state or nation. Most among the British society effectively accepted the Russian interpretation of Ukrainian history according to which Ukrainians were not a separate people, and Ukraine was part of Russia’s “zone of influence”. These attitudes died extremely hard and can still be seen in certain British circles despite the United Kingdom provids the significant support to Ukraine in ongoing war.
It is therefore crucial to reconsider British attitudes to Ukraine and Ukrainian.
Memory activism, which involves broad public participation in social activities, plays an important role in these processes. The collection of the Shevchenko Library and Archive (London) representing the largest body of Ukrainian diaspora books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, serves as a strategic platform for memory activism efforts. The issue of memory activism using the resources of this institution to create the image of Ukrainians as a nation entitled to its state is the focus of the presentation, which is grounded in theoretical frameworks, including the concepts of “memory activism” (Y. Gutman, J. Wüstenberg), “communicative and cultural memory” (Jan Assmann), and “places of memory” (Pierre Nora).
Paper Short Abstract:
This paper examines Chile's Estallido Social (2019) through the lens of memory activism, where suppressed collective memories from the civic-military dictatorship (1973–1990) are reclaimed to contest neoliberal fragmentation. Based on militant ethnography at Los Pies del Cerro, an anarchist squat in Santiago, the study explores grassroots practices of "re-existence," including the recovery of expropriated spaces, visibility of detained-disappeared activists, and communal anarchist-popular practices. It underscores how embodied, affective actions challenge hegemonic memory cultures, fostering solidarity and long-term socio-political engagement.
Paper Abstract:
This paper examines the aftermath of Chile's Estallido Social (2019) as a case of memory activism, where collective memories suppressed since the civic-military dictatorship (1973–1990) are reclaimed to challenge neoliberal fragmentation. Grounded in militant ethnography at Los Pies del Cerro, an anarchist squat in Santiago, the study explores grassroots practices of “re-existence” through the recovery of an expropriated school, visibility of detained and disappeared activists, and embodied communal practices rooted in an anarchist ethos. By engaging with conflicting temporal ideologies and vernacular cultural reproduction, this paper highlights how grassroots actors sustain solidarity and challenge hegemonic memory cultures. By engaging with conflicting temporal ideologies and vernacular cultural reproduction, this paper underscores how grassroots actors sustain solidarity and challenge hegemonic memory cultures. It contributes to debates on memory for action (Salazar, 2000) demonstrating the role of embodied, affective practices in shaping memory activism and fostering long-term socio-political engagement.
Paper Short Abstract:
The current project explores the almost unnoticed joint history of the Volkskundemuseum in Vienna and the bunker in the neighbouring public park. Planned visual and acoustic interventions on-site, e.g., aim to make this massive structure of war and threat – which has become increasingly invisible – publicly recognisable and worth remembering.
Paper Abstract:
Following the logic of aerial warfare, massive war buildings with protective purposes, such as bunkers, need to be invisible. The bunker in Vienna's Schönbornpark was built as part of the ‘Führer-Sofort-Programme’ ordered by the NS regime. After 1945 this building ‘disappeared’ even more into the surrounding and was made imperceptible for park visitors. This invisibility seems to be symbolic for the uses after the war – to forget about the relating war and NS past. Unclear ownership and responsibilities were just another sign, such as the desires for new utilisations.
From the late 1940s onwards the management of Volkskundemuseum Wien saw potential for expansion in the spacious bunker in the direct neighbourhood and therefore it was developed. There has never been consideration on the original use of the building – neither by the museum nor by the city.
With the ongoing project ‘MASSIVELY INVISIBLE’, the Volkskundemuseum Wien has set itself the task of reflecting on the invisibility of this building contaminated by ideology and violence. In our contribution we want to discuss various politics of memory, and the hitherto largely unquestioned fact that active memory repression and oblivion have ‘happened’. The projects intention is to make the past and ongoing processes transparent, comprehensible and accessible at any time – both on-site as well as online. The intended interventions and the additional information are supposed to create a lasting reminder about the bunker, its original function and its history with the museum and the city.
Paper Short Abstract:
In Argentina, feminist and gender-divergent groups use living archives like Ni Una Menos (2017) to challenge dominant memory narratives, address gender-based violence, and collectivize mourning for femicides. These projects reframe history, reclaim public space, and confront historical and contemporary violence.
Paper Abstract:
The issue of memory in Argentina is situated within a context of sociopolitical struggles deeply influenced by human rights movements. These struggles have radically altered the way the nation understands its past, positioning archives and artistic activism at the heart of the construction of a dynamic collective memory. Feminist and gender-divergent groups have been key actors in this reconfiguration, re-centering the narratives of marginalized groups within the memory discourse. We explore these issues through the living archive project Ni Una Menos (2017), which embodies the movement against gender-based violence, triggering collective awareness and massive mobilizations. This living archive project (Bourcier, 2020) also serves as a means of collectivizing mourning in relation to femicides, ensuring that women are not forgotten and preventing dominant discourses from overshadowing emotional narratives. Through collective and artistic actions, groups and various actors challenge dominant narratives and oppose often-naturalized forms of violence, re-appropriating public space and making visible memories and bodies that have long been stigmatized, especially during the military dictatorship of Videla (1976-1983). The creation of archives such as the Proyecto Ni Una Menos or the Archivo de la Memoria Trans (2014) revitalizes the activist strategies of the 1990s in Argentina, denouncing present-day issues. We will propose an analysis of the creation of living archives and their circulation as a form of collective mourning.
Paper Short Abstract:
This paper investigates examples from Germany and the UK of grassroots memory activism and critical initiatives that have acted as catalysts for institutional transformations, promoting accountability and contributing to reshape how museums engage with the histories and legacies of colonialism and enslavement.
Paper Abstract:
After decades of institutional silences, the critical engagement with histories of colonialism and enslavement has become a pivotal challenge for museums across Europe (Lehrer et al, 2011; Macdonald, 2023). Museums have begun to engage with colonial collections in their custody (von Oswald, 2022), reflect their own historic involvement during the colonial project (Bach, 2019; Hicks, 2020), and contribute to reshaping national narratives that consider more substantially the role that colonisation and enslavement played for European nation-building (Araujo, 2023; Sieg, 2021; Tinsley, 2023). Frequently, grassroots actors have been integral interlocutors for institutional transformations, utilising a range of activities and strategies. This paper presents a selection of examples from Germany and the UK demonstrating how grassroots initiatives have contributed to institutional transformations in which museums have begun to engage critically with these histories and legacies. Prioritising initiatives that emerge from outside museum organisations and the wider sector, and taking varied societal, cultural, and political contexts in Germany and in the UK into account, I demonstrate how activism has acted as an accountability mechanism and catalyst, encouraging museums to unlearn dominant narratives of the past and to contribute to shaping contemporary democracy and social equity. Research for this paper has been conducted as part of the AHRC-DFG funded project ‘Cultural Dynamics: Museum and Democracy in Motion’, researching how museum organisations in Germany and in the UK have been changing and evolving, in response to changing ideas of democracy in both contexts, and the role that grassroots activism has played in shaping institutional transformations.
Paper Short Abstract:
Through the case-study of the Residents’ Assembly ‘No Metro at Exarchia Square’ the paper examines how memory of past resistance becomes implicated in struggles against gentrification and eviction, combining work from memory activism with anthropological research on haunting and resistance.
Paper Abstract:
In the 21st century gentrification has shifted from a local phenomenon in some Western contexts, to a global strategy of interurban competition, leading to mass evictions of working class and minority residents across the world. In the limited research available on resistance to gentrification, few studies have emphasized the role of memory in struggles over staying put and against the erasure of cultural and politically-sensitive geographies. Building on recent work that attempts to combine the field of memory studies with social movement research, as well as on seminal work on haunting in relation to resistance in anthropology, this paper will explore the memory practices of the Residents’ Assembly ‘No Metro at Exarchia Square’, in the neighbourhood of Exarchia, in Athens, Greece. The assembly struggles for the right to stay put and for the preservation of the neighbourhood’s central public space, threatened by the development of a new metro line, that has been symbolic of former and present counter-establishment struggles against dictatorship and police brutality. The paper will examine how these resident-activists’ resistance effectively constitutes a struggle against, as they say ‘the erasure of memory’, but will also examine the role ‘inspirational hauntings’ (Yonucu, 2023) play in such struggle and in broader efforts to form counter-publics in moments of extensive neoliberal appropriation. In this sense the paper aims to connect anthropological research on haunting with studies in memory activism, and place such phenomena within broader urban struggles over public space and against eviction which form quintessential struggles of our current times.
Paper Short Abstract:
In my ongoing doctoral research on lived religion in Border Karelia in the interwar period, I am working with oral history material on Orthodox traditions collected among Karelian evacuees in 1971. I am looking at memories of the closing of the border between newly independent Finland and Russia/USSR. The motivation for my research, which is also inspired by recent Karelian activism, is to shed light on the little-studied experiences of the Orthodox Karelian minority in the years following Finnish independence in 1917, a period characterized by Finnish nation-building and the Finnicization of the Orthodox Church. Working with multiple temporalities of marginalized memories, I will reflect on my role as a researcher of Orthodox Karelian ancestry. What is my contribution to the field of contested discourses on Karelians, Karelian language revitalization, and navigating a transnational minority in times of rebordering?
Paper Abstract:
In my ongoing doctoral research on lived religion in Border Karelia in the interwar period, I am working with oral history material on Orthodox traditions collected among Karelian evacuees in 1971. I am looking at memories of the closing of the border between newly independent Finland and Russia/USSR. The motivation for my research, which is also inspired by recent Karelian activism, is to shed light on the little-studied experiences of the Orthodox Karelian minority in the years following Finnish independence in 1917, a period characterized by Finnish nation-building and the Finnicization of the Orthodox Church. Working with multiple temporalities of marginalized memories, I will reflect on my role as a researcher of Orthodox Karelian ancestry. What is my contribution to the field of contested discourses on Karelians, Karelian language revitalization, and navigating a transnational minority in times of rebordering?