Maria J.C.

Krom
PhD Candidate
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences / CRIA
Center for Research in Anthropology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Email: marjoke.krom@gmail.com
Tel. (+351) 935016587 / (+351) 266744054
Postal address: Apartado 349, 7004-504 Evora, Portugal
Paper proposal:
From private artifact to public heritage: the social life of things in the Festa
do Divino / Cavalhadas (Pirenpolis, Brazil) (working title)
In this paper I trace the history of a particular family, which has since generations
been involved in the annual celebration of the Festa do Divino / Cavalhadas
(Pirenpolis, Brazil), through their interaction with the artifacts that play a central
role in this celebration. In varying roles and capacities, the interactions of the
family members range from museological activities, to the production of the
artifacts used, and the transmission of the 'tradition' to the younger generations.
Following the history of the family, we see both the role and the meaning of the
artifacts change over time, representing different phases in the social life of the
artifacts. Starting out as material testimonies of private memories and family
heritage, the artifacts once placed in the context of a private museum then
turn into public references of local identity and tradition, changing in their latest
phase into emblems attesting to the genuine character and origin of regional
and even national cultural heritage.

Biographical note:
Maria Krom is a PhD candidate, and member of CRIA Center for Research in
Anthropology, at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Funded by a scholarship from
the Foundation for Science and Technology, her research focuses on identity
politics and commoditization of culture in contemporary folk celebrations in
Portugal, Spain and Brazil. She holds a masters degree in Cultural Anthropology
by the University of Amsterdam.

Primary research interests are performative practices in contemporary folk

cultures; identity politics; material culture; visual anthropology. Publications
include: KROM, M.J.C. 2009. Contested spaces. Meaningful places.
Contemporary performances of place and belonging in Spain and Brazil. Journal
of Ethnology and Folkloristics. Tartu: Estonian National Museum/University of
Tartu. Vol.3 (3): 33-46.
KROM, M.J.C. 2008. Festivals of Moors and Christians. Performance, commodity
and identity in folk celebrations in Southern Spain. Journal of Mediterranean
Studies. Vol.18, 1:119- 138.