Abstract

This article systematizes the research process and didactic approach of the museographic project "Childhood/Dictatorship: Witnesses and Actors (1973-1990)," presented in its ninth edition in 2023 in Santiago, Chile. This project represents the synthesis of an academic investigation exploring the microhistory of childhood during the period of Chile’s military dictatorship (1973-1990) through objects and productions created by children of that time, as well as the ways in which visitors (children, youth, and adults) interpret these artifacts. The analysis focuses on the status of childhood-produced objects as material culture and their value in the memorial construction for new generations through an aesthetic approach. Findings indicate that the museographic experience contributed to updating collective memory of the dictatorship by articulating past, present, and future in relation to human rights violations, recognizing the complexity of diverse memorial constructions and their present-day re-signification, promoting intergenerational dialogue, and facilitating collective emotional expression in the context of the fiftieth anniversary of the coup d’État. © 2024 Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso. All rights reserved.