Bogotá Museum Reinstalls 63 Objects After Court Reverses Government Removal

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Museo Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá has reinstated 63 objects to its permanent galleries, reversing their previous removal by the national government. The artworks and artifacts had been taken down on October 15 following accusations of“political indoctrination.”

The reinstallation occurred after César Enrique Osorio Ortiz, a judge at Bogotá's 24th Family Court, issued a court order on the evening of October 28. The order mandated the Colombian cultural ministry and the museum to return the items to their original positions within 48 hours. The ministry complied with this directive on Friday, October 30.

This judicial decision came in response to a constitutional-rights case initiated by various cultural organizations and political adversaries. These groups alleged censorship by the government of far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella. The judge's ruling also prohibited both institutions from removing works based on their content or the opinions they convey.

Among the items that had been removed were a pride flag associated with activist Elizabeth Castillo, a pen crafted from a bullet, used to sign the 2016 peace agreement between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and a poster commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The removals were part of a larger offensive by De la Espriella, who had called for a“cultural war” and a“direct blow to 'wokeism' and the ideologisation of culture.” This campaign specifically targeted Colombia's primary museum. The government's action prompted widespread protests, with hundreds gathering outside the museum, and a joint statement from six museums, including the Modern art museums of Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Medellín, and Tolima, as well as the Museo Rayo. These institutions expressed“deep concern” and advocated for the protection of their professional autonomy.

Marielsa Castro Vizcarra, chief curator of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, a signatory to the joint statement, informed The Art Newspaper that the cultural sector reacted swiftly, encompassing street demonstrations, the collective statement, and engagement with the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art. Castro characterized the incident as“a precedent we need to take into account” and“an authoritarian way of spreading fear.”

The judge's ruling stated that the artifacts were removed“without a documented curatorial justification” and that this decision“disregarded the constitutional protection of cultural expressions.” The court did not preclude future changes to exhibitions, provided they are properly justified and not based on authorities' objections to the works' content. Gabriel Becerra, a left-wing lawmaker involved in the constitutional-rights case, celebrated the court's decision in a post on X, declaring,“No government owns our history!”

Source: The Art Newspaper

MENAFN02112026005694012507ID1111905739