Olga González

My work examines memory-making and truth-telling practices and discourses in the
context of post-war conflicts in Latin America, in particular Peru. My research interests
are connected by an underlying focus on the relationships between trauma, violence,
visual practices, the politics of representation and censorship. I am particularly interested
in the “forgetting” and silencing aspects involved in memory processes, the “invisibility”
that goes along with concept of visuality in cultural production, and censorship practices.
My recent research on memorialization initiatives following the Peruvian Truth and
Reconciliation Commission have addressed the use public spaces and the participation of
various counter-publics. I examine the multitude of gazes that intersect at memorial sites,
giving deeper reflection to the role the spectator has in the production of meaning. While
I privilege ethnographic methods –both participant observation and in-depth
interviewing- I do significant work with historical records, art, and media. My work with
collectives of artists, human rights activists and families of the disappeared has also led to
develop collaborative methodologies and reflect on decolonizing research practices.