Memory space as symbolic repair in post-conflict situation: the case of Bojayá

Abstract

During the last fifty years of armed conflict in Colombia, the Pacific region was one of the most affected with both severity and frequency. The Bojayá massacre (May 2, 2002), marked forever the lives of the survivors. This thesis seeks to understand how memory spaces can be a symbolic repair tool for victims in societies that have been hard hit by violence. Using the lyrics of the traditional ancestral songs of the Colombian Pacific, and analyzing the collaborative work in the construction of the memorial space Fragmentos in Bogotá, I propose what a memory space should be like for the Bojayá community. I propose, based on the songs, some guidelines and establish the key determinants of an architecture of the senses so that the space contributes to the symbolic repair of the victims. Therefore, the primary objective of making the sensory architectural experience for Bojayá’s residents and its visitors a facilitator for its reconciliation with the world is achieved.