Abstract

What do partnerships between museums in rural areas teach to those located in other regions? This study draws on Red de Museos Aysén (Aysén Museums Network), a collaboration platform from Aysén Region, a wide territory in Southern Chile (Patagonia) well-known for its extreme geography, yet unexplored routes and isolation. Our experience tells that museums networks are important in isolated and rural regions as Aysén, where 22 small-medium scale community museums have been operating since the late 20th century, facing geographical dispersion and lack of connectivity; and standing up for the preservation of local identities, through their memories and significant objects. Through a participatory documentation, training workshops and institutional support, the network is overcoming centralisation by building connections that did not exist before between Aysén museums leaders, their communities, stakeholders, researchers and cultural groups. Through collections research, the network is also promoting the safeguard of traditional knowledge linked to the material culture kept by local museums. For the first time in Aysén museums history, partnerships based on knowledge-sharing are supporting rural communities in pursuing the future of their traditions.