Memorial museums and burial sites: Rwanda’s unfinished memory work

Abstract

Memorialisation of those who died during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi has been an ongoing concern for both the Rwandan and non-Rwandan communities. The majority of the existing memorials were initially constructed by survivors supported by the local community, administration and other partners in response to the urgent need to bury the bodies of genocide victims. These sites have transformed over the years as memorial policies have codified and evolved. Memorial museums reflect the growing tendency of viewing trauma sites as artistic, interactive spaces that engage with those who visit them. This article examines the aesthetics of memory in three memorial museums situated in Rwanda’s western province: Bisesero, Gatwaro and Ngoma. It reflects on the work of the Rwandan architect Vedaste Ngarambe and his contribution as a local voice by considering how the architect’s aesthetic design choices reflect not only stories of the massacres that unfolded at the three sites but also the mourning culture of the community in which they are located.