Brazilian Museum Collects Visitors' Voices Instead of Artifacts
Launch of the Moba Radio project to record visitors' voices
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
Instead of donating an artifact or an old document, visitors to a museum in Brazil can now contribute something entirely different: their voices, memories, and personal stories, which become part of the museum’s collective memory.
Last week, the Paranense Museum in the Brazilian city of Curitiba launched an innovative project called “Radio Moba” to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
The initiative invites visitors to record their stories, experiences, and life lessons, shifting the focus from collecting only material objects to capturing personal narratives.
During their visit, visitors pass through four interactive stations that pose questions such as: What can you give to a museum that is not a physical object? What lessons have you learned outside of books? And which stories deserve to be remembered by future generations?
Participants record their answers in their own voices, and the recordings are made available for listening in the final hall, where each visitor can discover the experiences of others.
According to the official news agency of the state of Paraná, the project aims to make the public active partners in preserving memory and history, rather than mere spectators of exhibits.
The experience is offered free of charge on specific days in November and December 2026, presenting a fresh perspective: museums do not merely preserve old objects; they can also safeguard the stories of people living today.
