Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o,
h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y
Ví o de Sousa
Abs ac
Since his is a ma e ha is no ye esol ed, whe e he s eng h o ideologies and e-
uses may change deeply o e en e e se he ways i is e oked, he colonial pas may become a
p oblem (Vecchi, 2018a). This is he case o Po uguese colonialism which is equen ly in oked
o s ess esen men s: whe he om he coun y ha was colonised o he colonising coun y
(Fe o, 2009). As soon as he Po uguese Re olu ion o 25 Ap il 1974 ook place, Mozambique
p omo ed he elimina ion o colonialism symbols. This p edic able a i ude, aiming o show ha
he colonisa ion had ended, was la e amended by he u u e Go e nmen s, wi h he colonial s a -
ues (a leas , he ones ha emained) being eloca ed o a place whe e hey may be obse ed and
con ex ualised. This ac ion aimed o p ese e he memo y, which may enable he de elopmen o
in e cul u al dynamics, so ening he men ioned esen men : p omo ing ques ioning, in o de o
unde s and ce ain logics and, a he same ime, illing gaps in he o go en memo y and in he
Mozambican iden i y (Khan, Falconi & K akowska, 2016). This pape e e s o he cases ela ed o
he new li e o wo colonial s a ues in Mapu o – Mouzinho de Albuque que and Salaza –, du ing
he pos -colonial pe iod and he pe manence, un il oday, o he i s monumen al ace o Es ado
No o [Second Republic] (Monumen o aos Mo os da P imei a Gue a Mundial [Wo ld Wa I
monumen ]), showing he impo ance ha he p ese a ion o memo y has in a coun y o a na-
ion’s li e, e en when i is associa ed wi h he o me colonise . This so o men al decolonisa ion
(Mbembe, 2017; Thiong’o, 1986), aims he ques ioning o he way he colonial pas weighs on he
cu en in e cul u al ela ions, in Mozambique, when he coun y es ablishes a ela ion wi h he
o me colonise , allowing i s inhabi an s o look a he pas as a way o build u u e dynamics.
Keywo ds
Memo y, his o y, coloniali y, pos -coloniali y, in e cul u ali y
A memó ia como p omo o a de in e cul u alidade em
Mapu o, a a és da p ese ação da es a uá ia colonial
Resumo
Po não se a a de um assun o ence ado, onde a o ça das ideologias e dos eusos
pode á al e a p o undamen e, ou a é in e e , os modos da sua e ocação, o passado colonial
pode e ela -se p oblemá ico (Vecchi, 2018a). É o caso do colonialismo po uguês que, de o ma
eco en e é in ocado pa a sublinha essen imen os: que do país que oi colonizado, que do
país colonizado (Fe o, 2009). Moçambique, logo que eclodiu em Po ugal a Re olução do 25 de
Ab il de 1974, p omo eu o apagamen o dos símbolos do colonialismo. A p e isí el a i ude, en-
den e a mos a que a colonização inha acabado eio, depois, a se co igida pelos u u os Go-
e nos, com as es á uas coloniais (pelo menos as que es a am), a se em deslocalizadas, onde
passa am a pode se obse adas e con ex ualizadas. T a ou-se de uma ação com is a à p ese -
ação da memó ia, que pode pe mi i o desen ol imen o de dinâmicas in e cul u ais, esba endo
o e e ido essen imen o: p omo endo a p oblema ização pa a pe cebe de e minadas lógicas e,
ao mesmo empo, p eenche azios na memó ia esquecida e na iden idade dos moçambicanos
Comunicação e Sociedade, special ol., 2019, pp. 269 – 286
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.17231/comsoc.0(2019).3073
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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
(Khan, Falconi & K akowska, 2016). Es e a igo e e encia os casos ela i os à no a ida de duas
es á uas coloniais em Mapu o – a de Mouzinho de Albuque que e a de Salaza –, em empo pós-
-colonial, e à pe manência, a é hoje, daquele que oi o p imei o es ígio monumen al do Es ado
No o (o Monumen o aos Mo os da P imei a Gue a Mundial), obse ando a impo ância que
em a p ese ação da memó ia na ida de um país, ou de uma nação, mesmo es ando associada
ao an igo colonizado . Es a espécie de descolonização men al (Mbembe, 2017; Thiong’o, 1986),
passa pela p oblema ização da o ma como o passado colonial pesa nas elações in e cul u ais
nos dias de hoje em Moçambique, quando o país se elaciona com o an igo colonizado , pe -
mi indo que os seus habi an es olhem pa a o passado como o ma de cons ui dinâmicas de
u u o.
Pala as-cha e
Memó ia; his ó ia; colonialidade; pós-colonialidade; in e cul u alidade
In oduc ion
S a ues a e p esen in public spaces, such as ci ies, whe e majo communi ies a e
se led. As public monumen s, hey exp ess collec i e memo y and i s ep esen a ions,
and hey a e usually ela ed o hemes o igu es connec ed o na ional iden i y, h ough
hose in powe in hose ci cums ances.
A s a ue is an immo able objec ( h ee-dimensional sculp u e), which may ep-
esen a eal o imagina y en i y. Colonial go e nmen s buil s a ues in he colonised
e i o ies, ela ed o he me opolis o o hei imagina ion. Ma ga ida Cala a e Ribei o
(2004) men ions he “empi e as an imagina ion o cen e”, claiming ha he c ea ion o
an image o Po ugal as a cen e was achie ed p ecisely h ough he empi e. I was he
empi e’s aces, which ep esen ed he “excess na ion, eloca ed a away” (Richa ds,
1993), especially in he ela ion wi h he “imagined communi ies” (Ande son, 1993), ha
ied o es ablish he connec ion. E en i i was a “Pape Empi e”, as s a ed by Leono
Pi es Ma ins (2012), in which he A ican egions s a ed aking shape in he Po uguese
heads h ough he images, al hough showing some agili y om Lisbon.
Mozambique, namely i s capi al, Mapu o (once Lou enço Ma ques), was no an
excep ion. In a i s phase, jus be o e he coun y’s independence, in June 1975, he co-
lonial s a ues we e demolished (excep he Wo ld Wa I monumen , made o s one) and
many o hem we e damaged. In a second phase, he Mozambique Go e nmen aimed
o show he p e ious s a ua y, p ese ing he memo y and con ex ualising i . This is he
case o he eques ian s a ue ha honou ed Mouzinho de Albuque que, which was lo-
ca ed in he hea o Mapu o (demolished in May 1975), in he squa e named a e his
Po uguese soldie du ing he colonial pe iod, who was he Royal Commissione o Mo-
zambique be ween 1896 and 1898. This s a ue was ans e ed o he Mapu o Fo ess,
whe e i could be seen by all he inhabi an s and newlyweds used i as a backd op o hei
wedding pho os. In addi ion, ano he s a ue ep esen ing Salaza , which was buil in he
cen e o he capi al du ing he colonial pe iod (demolished in May 1974), was placed in
he Na ional Lib a y o Mozambique, acing he wall, as i i was being punished. In bo h
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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
cases, i is a so o men al decolonisa ion (Thiong’o, 1986; Mbembe, 2017), which aims
o ques ion he way he colonial pas cu en ly weighs on Mozambique. In his sense, al-
hough he concep o in e cul u ali y may no be oo consensual – being associa ed wi h
he Po uguese Disco e ies, in a clea ly opical Po uguese inspi a ion –, he u h is
ha , du ing he Po uguese pe iod, a so o e e sed in e cul u ali y (S oe & Co esão,
1999), p o ec ed by he colonise , wi h emphasis on he idea o “Po ugali y”, p e ailed.
The pos -colonial pe iod does no e ase he colonial ime, al hough i does ecycle
i . The e o e, and as a me apho o he pas -p esen ime, he colonial s a ue ep esen s
an absence/indi e ence, bu , a he same ime, duly con ex ualised, i can be assumed
as a co ne s one o he memo y o Mozambique and, by ex ension, o Po ugal as well.
Collec i e memo y and his o y
In some coun ies, he i age, like pa imony, becomes a wa chwo d, e oking a mul-
iplici y o emo ional associa ions. Fo he S a e, i cons i u es an oppo unis means o
sa is y he social needs o he elec o a e, a he same ime ha i p omo es he poli ical
goals o na ion building. In Sabine Ma schall’s opinion (2009) – who w o e abou he
idea o he i age du ing he pos -apa heid pe iod in Sou h A ica –, he i age is based on
a malleable and ambiguous concep , ull o pa adoxes, and i can be used di e en ly,
some imes suppo ing con adic o y poli ical, economic, social and cul u al ideas. Since
he beginning o he 1990s, ha he pa imonial he i age speech a ose – no only in
Sou h A ica, bu also in se e al o he coun ies –, as one o he main places o discuss
ques ions o cul u e, iden i y and ci izenship, sugges ing wha is au hen ic, wha a e he
deepe oo s o cul u al iden i y and he “essence” o a sense o na ionali y (Shephe d &
Robins, 2008). Pa imony is ha d o de ine, because i is comp ehensi e, con ains an-
gible a e ac s and s uc u es ha e e o he pas , as well as in angible landscapes and
aspec s o cul u e, such as adi ions, cus oms and o al memo ies. Pa imony ela es o
bo h he pas and he p esen (Ma schall, 2009).
The celeb a ion is demons a ed, among o he s, h ough he enaming o s ee s,
ci ies and public buildings; in he cons uc ion o new museums, documen a ion and in-
e p e a ion cen es; in he e-enac men o ba les and his o ical e en s; in he iden i ica-
ion and o icial ma king o new pa imony places; as well as in he ins alla ion o memo-
ials, monumen s and public s a ues. As public monumen s, s a ues exp ess collec i e
memo y and ep esen a ions, and a e usually ela ed o hemes o igu es connec ed o
na ional iden i y, h ough hose in powe in hose ci cums ances.
Mapu o did no escape ha end, al hough he des uc ion o colonial aces el
ollowing he Po uguese Re olu ion o 25 Ap il, igh be o e he independence o Mo-
zambique, had been eplaced by i s p ese a ion, in an a emp o show he Mozambican
people memo y aces om he Po uguese domina ion pe iod.
Collec i e memo y – a concep c ea ed by Mau ice Halbwachs, in 1925, a e con-
cluding ha memo y is sha ed, ansmi ed and buil by a g oup o by socie y –, should
always be conside ed in i s mul idimensionali y, since he indi idual memo y o a pe son
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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
o ela ed o a coun y a e he basis o o mula ing an iden i y. A ano he le el, he e is
his o y, which p omo es he summa y o he impo an e en s o a na ion, which makes
collec i e memo ies only a sum o de ails. Rega ding he ela ion be ween his o y and
memo y, he au ho e e s ha “his o y s a s only when adi ion ends and he social
memo y is ading o b eaking up. So long as a ememb ance con inues o exis , i is use-
less o se i down in w i ing” (Halbwachs, 1990 [1950], p. 80).
This idea is also sha ed by Pie e No a, al hough his his o ian obse es ha mem-
o y has become an objec o his o y, so i co esponds o his o y i sel . He highligh s ha
he accele a ion p ocess e i ied in his o y, esul ing om he media ised massi ica ion
o socie y, has p oduced he end o memo y adi ion, as a consequence o he adical
change o p ac ice ela ed o a chi es, which no longe ha e a c i ical iew, only being
used as ins umen s, con ac ing “li e memo y”. In his sense, he men ions he c ys al-
lisa ion o o ms o memo y, conside ing hem as “p os he ic memo ies”, which sub-
s i u e he expe ience li ed (No a, 1989). He ad oca es he idea ha memo y no longe
exis s, since i is only eli ed and i ualised, he e o e, nowadays, socie y uses his o y
o g an i memo ies. In his sense, in con empo a y socie y, he e is no possibili y o
a memo y-his o y, as in he 19 h cen u y. He e e s ha he sepa a ion be ween memo y
and his o y p oduces well-de ined meanings, wi h memo y being conside ed a adi ion
based on li e and dynamic he i age, and his o y ep esen ing he opposi e, sepa a ing
and selec ing he ac s. Thus, he his o ian e e s ha mode n socie ies comple ely elimi-
na e memo y, and he one ha exis s is assumed as his o y. And, in he e en o no ha -
ing memo y, he men ions he possibili y o accessing a econs uc ed memo y ha gi es
sense o iden i y, such as he c ea ion o a chi es, o ganisa ion o celeb a ions, among
o he s, in which he si es o memo y a e assumed as a space whe e he i ual o a his o y-
memo y can be ansla ed in o a memo y (No a, 1989).
The cul u al, his o ical and educa ional na a i es es ablish memo ies and pos -
memo ies, being i s p oduc i i y demons able h ough, o example, an analysis o
memo alisa ion o he Colonial Wa in he Po uguese con empo a y con ex (Ribei o &
Ribei o, 2018), and ha , in his con ex , is also ele an o Mozambique.
Acco ding o An ónio Sousa Ribei o (2018), one o he mos p oduc i e e lec ions
on hese hemes is ansla ed in o he concep o “pos memo y”, p oposed by Ma ianne
Hi sch, in he 1990s, whose impo ance is “based on he way i allows hinking abou he
complex posi ion o he subsequen gene a ions in he scope o he memo y p ocesses”
(Ribei o, 2018, p. 15). Pa adoxically, “pos memo y” will be conside ed a memo y ha
was no li ed, bu ha “by i s iolence and he impo an meaning o i s consequenc-
es, namely in he scope o amily socialisa ion, s ands ou o he nex gene a ion wi h
enough s eng h o be indelibly insc ibed” (Ribei o, 2018, p. 15). I is in his sense ha
pos memo y “is ans o med in o one o he co ne s ones ha gi es a speci ic pe o ma-
i e con en o he ela ion wi h a iolen pas ” (Ribei o, 2018, p. 15). This also enables
codi ying hose memo ies in s o ies and na a i es, p ese ing hem and allowing new
membe s o sha e a s o y in g oup.
Sheila Khan s esses he exis ence o a Mozambican pos -colonialism, di e en i-
a ed om he pos -colonial dynamic o he exp ession in he Po uguese language, a
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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
ac she men ions s ands ou in João Paulo Bo ges Coelho’s w i ing. The esea che ap-
p oaches h ee au ho ’s wo ks – As isi as do D . Valdez [The Visi s o D . Valdez] (2004),
C ónica da Rua 513.2 [Ch onicle o he 513.2 S ee ] (2006) and Campo de T ânsi o [The
Camp o T ansi ] (2007) – looking o a “S o y o he ‘silen ’, [whe e] he ma gins, he si-
lences, he agili ies o all o hose who wi nessed he cycles, he ansi ions, he chang-
es o his na ion being buil ha is Mozambique [a e appoin ed]” (Khan, 2008, p. 134).
A e a con e sa ion wi h he w i e and his o ian, Sheila Khan e e s ha he social
and collec i e memo y is in e locked in a p ocess o “o ganisa ion o a na ional iden i y”,
al hough i p esen s ano he dimension, which is ela ed o “ he legi imacy o i s powe ,
as na a i e holde , o a so o me a-na a i e o His o y”, ha , a e all, is no hing mo e
han “ he s uggle o libe a ion, [which] legi ima es i s powe , and which means pulling
ou he en i e pas (…) o demonising he en i e colonial pas ”1. The e o e, in he au ho ’s
diegesis, i is assumed “as a link o con as s, o signs ha p ojec , (…), p ecisely in wha
conce ns he denuncia ion o a poli ical a emp o es ablish a up u e (…) be ween he
colonial and pos -colonial pe iods” (Khan, 2008, pp. 134-135). In which i is clea “ he in-
e sec ion be ween he social memo y and he elimina ion o obli ion, s a egic o poli i-
cal, o ha o he colonial pe iod, which is u gen no o o ge , dele e o conceal” (Khan,
2008, p. 135). Fu he mo e, i emains in he gene a ion ha li ed he Colonial Wa , a
con on a ion wi h i s own p ocess o cul u al, iden i y and physical de e i o ialisa ion.
O , as he cha ac e Sá Cae ana (As isi as do D . Valdez, 2004) men ions: “we belong o
he old wo ld, we don’ ha e he s eng h o he new one” (Coelho, 2004, p. 204).
The colonial pas is p esen in he con empo a y wo ld in many di e en ways, be-
ing in eg a ed in a ma e ial cul u e in se e al o ms. In a maybe less angible way, bu
no less ac i e, i shapes socie y, ecognising posi ioning (L’Es oile, 2008). Acco ding
o Robe o Vecchi, he empi e “explodes oday in mul iple subjec i e splin e s, whose
shape is no ye o med and i is subjec o he isk o pa ial euses o in e es ed e iews”
(2018a, p. 18). A ans e o memo y be ween gene a ions is aking place, “which allows
a glimpse o possible su i als, o dis an and agmen a y pas s, by he s eng h o an
image caugh by a glance ha does no ep oduce i , bu ec ea es i ” (Vecchi, 2018a, p.
18). And his is wha will emain, when he e a e no longe li e wi nesses o he e en s.
The ideologies and social memo y ega ding he colonial pas be ween he Po u-
guese speaking coun ies, wi hou being subjec o e lec ion and c i ical decons uc ion,
may con ibu e o Po uguese-cen ic exp essions and social s e eo ypes, and lead o
in e g oup con lic s, social disc imina ion and exclusion o some people (Abadia, Cabe-
cinhas, Macedo & Cunha, 2016; Cabecinhas, 2007; Cabecinhas & Feijó, 2010; Feijó & Ca-
becinhas, 2009; M. L. Ma ins, 2015; Sousa, 2015, 2017). In ac , he collec i e memo ies
ega ding he colonial pas gene a e ension be ween he so-called “Po uguese speak-
ing na ions”, whose con ac wi h hegemonic e sions o he colonial pas was p o ided
by cul u al, educa ional and his o ical na a i es ha ha e been equen ly mobilised o
s eng hen na ional iden i y and jus i y policies.
1 Sheila Khan, pe sonal in e iew, July 19, 2007. In e iew wi h João Paulo Bo ges Coelho. Sines, Po ugal.

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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
Cul u al memo y (Assmann, 2008) – o he bond be ween he pas , p esen and
u u e – cons i u es a con inuous p ocess o ememb ance and obli ion, in which he
econ igu a ion o indi iduals and o he g oup i sel wi h he pas emains, wi h i s po-
si ioning made in e ms o he eme gen and es ablished si es o memo y. Hence, he
cul u al memo y dynamic mus be con ex ualised, aking in o accoun he social ac o s
on which i sails and he way powe was exe cised.
P esen ism, pos -colonial heo y and in e cul u ali y
Memo y has ans o med, om a cul u al and poli ical poin o iew, in o a e ile
g ound, whe e a ough ba le o he building o a hegemonic na a i e is being ough ,
wi h one o he pa icipa ing ac ions claiming i s own u h o , a leas , i s memo y au-
ho i y. We s ill look a his o y as i i was buil be ween good and bad people, bu his o y
is much mo e complica ed han ha . Acco ding o Diogo Ramada Cu o, his is a de ia-
ion o a ques ion ha is u gen o ask and ha is ela ed o he si ua ion o his o ical
esea ch. He a gues ha he pas should be s udied h ough he in e sec ion o his o y
and social sciences in gene al, based on sou ces and he de elopmen o an analy ical
p ac ice ha p e en s a mo alis one: “ ha allows us o hink abou social di e ences
on a scale ha anscends he na ion, o comp omise mig a ions and popula ion mo e-
men s” and ha also enables “as be e unde s anding o he big s uc u es ha , wi h
he o ce o ine ia, con inue o impose hemsel es in he p esen , complica ing he mod-
e nisa ion o socie ies, such as he Po uguese”, p e en ing p esen ism (Cu o, 2018, s.
p.). I is exac ly in his di ec ion ha he mos ecen esea ch o he his o ian An ónio
Manuel Hespanha (2019) goes. In Filhos da Te a: iden idades mes iças nos con ins da
expansão po uguesa [Po uguese child en: in e acial iden i ies a he ends o he Po u-
guese expansion], he his o y o he Po uguese expansion is old no om he me opo-
lis poin o iew, bu om he poin o iew o hose who le and se led in he lands o
he Po uguese empi e. Hespanha e e s ha his publica ion aims o ga he and p ocess
oge he “elemen s o he analysis o wha has been called, o some yea s, he Po u-
guese ‘shadow empi e’, which means, ha se o communi ies (…), mainly in A ica and
Asia, [ ha ] we e conside ed ‘Po uguese’” (Hespanha, 2019, p. 12). The e o e, he ques-
ions he exis ence o a “‘Po uguese’ iden i y”, assu ing ha he p oblems s a he e,
wi h he de ini ion o he objec o s udy. In ac , as he “Po uguese” communi ies a e
being conside ed, in hei ambigui y and complexi y o hei cons i uen elemen s, “ hei
iden i y is los ”. And he explains: “ hey a e so di e en om one ano he ha , g ouping
hem is, abo e all, he esul o ha ing decided o look a hem oge he . And (…) we ha e
concluded ha is ela ed (…) o he way we p e iously imagined hem as ‘Po uguese’”
(Hespanha, 2019, pp. 12-13). D awing on Sanjay Sub ahmanyam (1995), he e en dem-
ons a es doub s ega ding he applicabili y o he exp ession “Po uguese Diaspo a”2.
2 S ua Hall had al eady men ioned ha “ he diaspo ic pe spec i e o cul u e can be seen as a sub e sion o he adi ional
cul u al models o ien ed o he na ion” (2013, p. 36), e en mo e so, in a ime o globalisa ion, he diaspo a concep may be
a con adic ion when e oked in he name o “Po ugali y” (Sousa, 2013).
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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
Moisés de Lemos Ma ins (2018) conside s ha he Eu opean ma i ime expansion o
he 15 h and 16 h cen u ies was a p ocess ha opened o al e i y, di e si y and knowledge
o he o he , bu i ailed o assimila e and des oy he en i e di e ence, p oducing co-
lonialism. Wha was s essed du ing Es ado No o, in which he inocula ion o ideology
oge he wi h he colonised e i o ies was done since school, highligh ing he “ alues”
ha we e he basis o he egime. This made Sephen R. S oe and Luiza Co esão s ess
he “hea y legacy o ‘Po ugali y’, as a ‘ ese ed in e cul u ali y’”, jus i ied h ough he
a emp o ha egime o y o assign a “buil homogenei y”, h ough cu icula, each-
e s, school ma e ials, in which he educa ion p ocess was assumed as “one o he ways
eso ed o, in an a emp o awake/de elop he sense o belonging o ha dispe sion/di-
e si y” (S oe & Co esão, 1999, p. 59). This con adic ed he exis ing he o ic in Es ado
No o, unde he de elopmen o an assimila ionism policy, al hough con olled, ending
in he 1960s, al eady in ull assimila ionism, in which he indigenousness law was e en
ex inguished, gi ing Po uguese ci izenship o he na i es (To gal, 2009).
Rosa Cabecinhas and Luís Cunha (2008) hus ypi y in e cul u ali y as a dis an plu-
ali y o he exo ic di e si y sp ead h ough he Es ado No o p opaganda. In e cul u ali y
should be seen as a p ocess, which means ha se e al people wi h di e en inequali ies
pa icipa e in i , and ha i is impo an o unde s and “ ha he places whe e we li e and
he on ie s ha sepa a e us cons i u e eali ies ha , o a la ge ex en , a e i emo able,
he e o e anscending any mul icul u al he o ic” (Cabecinhas & Cunha, 2008, p. 7). I
is impo an o unde s and ha he smalle wo ld globalisa ion p o ide is no di ec ly
p opo ional o “di e en ways o s a e inequali ies” (Cabecinhas & Cunha, 2008, p. 7).
Howe e , he au ho s ale o he isk o “con using dialogue wi h symme y and in e cul-
u ali y wi h equali y o he pa ies”, which a ises om an a emp o simpli y p ocesses,
al hough ha a i ude is “mo e app op ia e o an impe ial imagina ion ecycled in pos -
mode n shades, han om a challenging iew, and ha aims, in ac , o c ea e enewed
senses and ai e ways o li e” (Cabecinhas & Cunha, 2008, p. 7). The amous dialogue
wi h he ‘o he ’, is almos summa ised in a olklo ic dimension, e en i he opening up o
he ‘o he ’ means “ ecip ocal ans o ma ion”, since, in his en i e p ocess, he expec a-
ion is ha an asymme y exis s based on he idea ha “ he o he should hink like us,
because we hink be e ” (Cabecinhas & Cunha, 2008, p. 9).
João Ma ia And é (2005) p oposes some p inciples aiming o he p omo ion o
in e cul u al dialogue, ha imply he knowledge o he “o he ” as a de e mining ac o
he de elopmen o a p ac ical ac ion, based on a c i ical awa eness ha is necessa y
o social ans o ma ion. This in e cul u al logic unde goes he challenge o a uni e sal
decla a ion o human igh s, ano he o mula ion o uni e sali y, based on plu alism and
ha is no imposed, in addi ion o he eco e y o he undamen al ai s o each cul u e,
aluing i s symbolic con ou .
Tha is why he de ini ion o “In e cul u ali y” in Dicioná io da Expansão Po uguesa
(1415-1600), aises many doub s, because o he ac ha i is p ecisely associa ed wi h he
Po uguese expansion, al hough ansla ed as a concep ha appea ed in F ance, in he
1970s, wi hin he educa ion sciences, du ing a pe iod o inc ease in immig a ion (Lace da,
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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
2016, p. 588). The use o his concep in he s udy o p e ious e as is jus i ied by he need
o iden i ying, in he pas , phenomena simila o hose in ended wi h an in e cul u al
educa ion. Fo his pu pose, p ocesses ha imply cul u al exchanges and amalgama ion
and no only knowledge o in e ac ion wi h a di e en cul u e a e analysed: “In e cul-
u ali y is ela ed o o he concep s, such as accul u a ion and sync e ism, bu i clea ly
dis inguishes i sel om mul icul u ali y, which only en ails he in e ac ion o wo s a i-
ied and hie a chical cul u es” (Lace da, 2016, p. 589). So, acco ding o he men ioned
dic iona y, he cul u e o Po uguese expansion – as wi h all cul u es –, “was he esul o
an osmosis p ocess, which was de eloped by he clash, accep ance and ejec ion o as-
pec s o communica ing cul u es” (Lace da, 2016, p. 589). The agen s o he Po uguese
expansion we e no awa e o his p ocess, bu hey almos always beha ed “as bea e s o
a inished cul u e, e en conside ing ha some o i s ma ices, namely Ch is ianism, we e
supe io o ms ha should be sp ead” (Lace da, 2016, p. 589). F om his belie and om
he esul ing beha iou s, acco ding o Te esa Lace da, “p ocesses o accul u a ion ha
gene a ed in e cul u al phenomena” we e bo n (Lace da, 2016, p. 589).
This is a opicalis Po uguese iew o he Po uguese expansion his o y, gi en
ha i is, a leas , e y ques ionable, associa ing i o an in e cul u ali y con ou , when
powe was, a ha ime, unila e al, wi h he one-way di ec ion being on he side o he
colonising coun y, and hose who did no obey he ules imposed, su e ed he espec-
i e consequences.
I is in his sense ha no conside ing he di e ences be ween colonial his o ies
and colonisa ion p ocesses may impose o e a na ion he pos -colonial na a i e o an-
o he na ion, making ha people e en less isible, as s a ed by Ana Paula Fe ei a (2007).
Which means ha colonialism “may be speaking on behal o a c i ical, o -cen e and
non-hegemonic pos -colonialism” (Fe ei a, 2007, pp. 22-23). Acco ding o Ped o Shach
Pe ei a, his “ ep esen s an app op ia ion o a c i ical me alanguage, his o ically decon-
ex ualised, e en when made wi h he bes o in en ions” and ha en ails “conside able
heo e ical isks, namely he ac o olun a ily pe pe ua ing he colonial ela ion ha is
in ended o be abolished o ano he le el” (2017, s.p.).
As men ioned by José Ne es (2016), his o ical knowledge depends on empi ical
elemen s om a ce ain pas , as well as he use o new heo e ical and concep ual ools
ha a e de e mined in he p esen , gi en ha in his o y no opic may be conside ed
closed. On he o he hand, Paul Ricoeu (2000) had al eady con i med he insepa abili y
be ween memo y and obli ion, and, as Sanjay Sub ahmanyam (Mei eles, 2016) e e s,
he main job o a his o ian is no o emembe , since he job is de eloped in he di ec ion
opposi e o he dynamic o belie ing in memo y, e en going agains i , since i has been
e ealed o be alse. Acco ding o Tz e an Todo o (2002), memo y is a so o selec-
i e consciousness o ime, ha is no opposed o obli ion. Memo y is an in e ac ion
be ween elimina ion and p ese a ion, gi en ha he ull es i u ion o he pas is im-
possible, since memo y always in ol es a selec ion. The his o ian Fe nando Bouza e en
quo es an A ican p o e b ha syn hesises wha was men ioned ega ding he memo y
modus ope andi: “memo y goes o he woods and b ings om he e he wood i wan s”
(Canelas, 2014).
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Memo y as an in e cul u ali y boos e in Mapu o, h ough he p ese a ion o he colonial s a ua y . Ví o de Sousa
The s a ues o Mouzinho de Albuque que, Wo ld Wa I monumen and Salaza
ecycled
A s a ue is an immo able objec ( h ee-dimensional sculp u e), which may ep e-
sen a eal o imagina y en i y. Colonial go e nmen s e ec ed s a ues in he colonised e -
i o ies and ha ma e ialised hei imagina ion, in a logic o cen e om he colonising
me opolis, showing he symbolic ela ion be ween Po ugal and i s empi e. Ma ga ida
Cala a e Ribei o (2004) akes he concep o “imagina ion o cen e”, om Boa en u a
de Sousa San os, and enames i “an empi e as an imagina ion o cen e”. She claims
ha he c ea ion o an image o Po ugal as a cen e was achie ed h ough he empi e,
concealing a “Po uguese image connec ed o i s exis en ial eali y o pe iphe y ha ‘ima-
gines he cen e’” (Ribei o, 2004, p. 12). Tha ideology da es back o he pe iod o he
Po uguese expansion, gi en ha colonialism is no a mo emen o one-way di ec ion,
since i ‘a ec ed’ bo h he colonised coun ies and he colonising ones. The e o e, may-
be his way i is possible o unde s and he idea o Thomas Richa ds (1993), who e e s o
he empi e as an excess na ion, which was eloca ed a away (maybe oo a ), conque -
ing e i o ies, wi hou he espec i e con ol being an easy ask. As ema ked by Leono
Pi es Ma ins ega ding he Po uguese colonial empi e (Um impé io de papel [A pape
empi e] 2012), he idea o na ion shi ed o a “huge ga he ing o e i o ies, dispe se and
dis an om each o he , whose di ec and e ec i e domain would end up being mo e
ic ional han eal, mo e illuso y han ac ual” (Ma ins, 2012, p. 20).
In ac , i was he empi e’s aces, especially in his ela ion wi h he “imagined
communi ies” (Ande son, 1993), ha ied o es ablished he connec ion, gi ing a clea
pic u e o ha idea.
The a ious o e seas e i o ies we e only con isca ed by he Po uguese h ough
he enac men o speci ic laws (e.g. he publica ion o he Colonial Ac , in 1930, ex inc in
1951), he egime p opaganda, as well as he dissemina ion o images showing “Po ugal
om Minho o Timo ” in i s en i e geog aphical ex ension. This way, as men ioned by
Manuela Ribei o Sanches om Ga y Wilde , he impe ial na ion s a e was consec a ed
as a consis en whole, no wi hs anding “ he dis inc i e iews, idiosync asies, con adic-
ions and limi s o he ‘ci ilising missions’, based on na ional dispu es”, which we e also
he basis o he mode n na ion s a e (Sanches, 2012, p. 195).
Du ing he 1930s and 1940s, Lou enço Ma ques (cu en ly, Mapu o) is subjec o
se e al aes he ic in e en ions in i s public space, aiming o “‘monumen alise’ and ‘Po -
ugalise’ he ci y, ying o mee i s newly acqui ed s a us o Colony capi al” (Ve heij,
2012, p. 11). F om hese ac ions o he colonising coun y, wo monumen s should be
highligh ed: he Wo ld Wa I monumen (by he sculp o Ruy Roque Gamei o, in collabo-
a ion wi h he a chi ec Veloso Reis, de 1935), and he s a ue o Mouzinho de Albuque -
que (Simões de Almeida, 1940) (Ve heij, 2012, 2013, 2014). A ound hese monumen s,
celeb a ions ake place, in ended o gi e he monumen s “ he s a us o he Po uguese
na ion allego y”, he e o e playing an emphasised poli ical ole in he au ho i a i e e-
o mula ion o he ci y’s public space “as an ‘impe ial’ space and in he pu a i e hegem-
onisa ion o he ep esen a ions o an imagined communi y as a ‘Na ion’”, allowing he
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Biog aphical no e
Ví o de Sousa has a PhD in Communica ion Sciences (In e cul u al Communica-
ion), by he Uni e si y o Minho, wi h he hesis: Da ‘po ugalidade’ à luso onia [F om
‘Po ugali y’ o Lusophony], he has a Mas e ’s Deg ee (specialised in Media Educa ion)
and a Bachelo ’s Deg ee (specialised in In o ma ion and Jou nalism) in he same a ea.
Among his esea ch a eas a e ques ions su ounding iden i y, Cul u al S udies, Media
Educa ion and Jou nalism heo ies. He is a esea che a CECS (Communica ion and So-
cie y Resea ch Cen e), whe e he in eg a es he G oup o Cul u al S udies, is a membe
o he p ojec : “Cul u esPas &P esen - Memo ies, cul u es and iden i ies: how he pas
weigh s on he p esen -day in e cul u al ela ions in Mozambique and Po ugal?” (FCT/
Aga Khan) and Museu Vi ual da Luso onia. He is a membe o Sopcom, ECREA and As-
sociação dos Amigos da Biblio eca Municipal de Pena iel. He won he Má io Qua im
G aça 2016 Scien i ic Awa d, which dis inguishes he bes doc o al hesis in he las h ee
yea s in he a ea o Social Sciences and Humani ies, in Po ugal and in La in Ame ica. He
was a jou nalis (1986-1997) and a p ess o ice (1997-2005).
ORCID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-6051-0980
Email: [email p o ec ed]
Add ess: CECS-Cen o de Es udos de Comunicação e Sociedade, ICS-Ins i u-
o de Ciências Sociais, Uni e sidade do Minho, Campus de Gual a , 4710-057 B aga
- PORTUGAL
* Submi ed: 04/02/2019
* Accep ed: 07/03/2019