Gazeta Lodz - Bogotá’s Seventh Night of Museums Opens 80 Cultural Venues on November 13

Bogotá’s seventh Night of Museums (Noche de Museos) will open the doors of 80 museums and cultural spaces across more than 14 localities on Friday, November 13. The annual event transforms the Colombian capital into an expansive cultural stage, inviting residents and visitors to engage with the city’s heritage through a program that spans historic collections, colonial architecture, contemporary art, live music, and experimental performances.

The initiative aims to present museums not merely as repositories of historical objects but as dynamic spaces for participation, education, and artistic exchange. Among the participating institutions are five museums administered by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture: the Museo Nacional de Colombia, Museo Colonial, Museo Santa Clara, Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar, and Museo de la Independencia Casa del Florero. Each venue will host a distinct program reflecting the diversity of the country’s artistic traditions.

At the Museo Nacional de Colombia, located on Carrera Séptima, activities begin at 1 p.m. with a celebration of Colombian sounds and dance, organized in collaboration with Idartes’ Casona de la Danza. A key inclusive feature is the Franja de la Calma, scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. This sensory experience is designed for visitors with and without disabilities, as well as their caregivers, offering a quieter environment to explore the museum. Advance registration is required for this session, subject to capacity limits.

From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Museo Nacional will feature performances by DJ Gabriela Morgan and Oikal Dance Studio. Visitors can also explore five recently inaugurated immersive rooms that utilize sound, audiovisual installations, and tactile experiences to reveal lesser-known stories of Colombia. These contemporary formats provide an alternative method for encountering the nation’s history.

The Museo Colonial on Carrera Sexta focuses on music and artistic experimentation. The highlight is Resonancias de la India y otros ecos del mundo, a performance by Ensamble Tarabaji from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The ensemble merges musical traditions from India and other cultures through a contemporary approach to sound exploration. Additionally, visual artist Maira Montenegro will lead an origami workshop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by Asalto bailable, a dance presentation by Barra de Tango en Movimiento. Guided tours exploring the opening of the historic door of the Church of San Ignacio will be available throughout the afternoon and evening.

At the Museo Santa Clara, Colombian-American artist Bernardo Vallarino will inaugurate his temporary exhibition Huellas. Evidencia de valor y vida at 5 p.m. The exhibition establishes a dialogue between the museum’s history and the experiences of people forced to leave their homes. Through themes of migration, memory, and new beginnings, it invites visitors to consider personal histories often obscured by broader narratives of displacement. Free introductory visits are offered between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar, the former residence associated with Simón Bolívar, will be open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., combining history, storytelling, and Latin American music. At 3 p.m., an immersive radio experience titled El jardín del abuelo: un viaje por la Quinta, created with Radio en Acción, will explore the site’s natural heritage through sound and memory. At 5 p.m., theatrical performers in period costumes will bring historical characters to life in ¡La Quinta cobra vida!. The evening concludes at 7:30 p.m. with Abya-Yala, a guitar quartet performing contemporary Latin American folk music drawing on traditions from Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, and Argentina.

At the Museo de la Independencia Casa del Florero, the program highlights Bogotá’s popular traditions and musical diversity. At 3 p.m., the Festival de la chicha y la dicha en el museo celebrates chicha as part of the capital’s living heritage, inspired by the longstanding Festival de la Chicha, la Vida y la Dicha in the traditional neighborhood of La Perseverancia. At 6:30 p.m., Versos para una planta combines visual arts and live artisanal creation to explore the coca plant, its biological cycles, and its ecological context. The program concludes at 7:30 p.m. with a vinyl set by Doom Descarga, featuring Colombian rhythms from Barranquilla to Mocoa.

With five national museums offering free admission and programming extending from the early afternoon into the evening, the seventh Noche de Museos provides an opportunity to experience Bogotá’s cultural institutions in a new light. The event reinforces the concept that museums are places where history and creativity continue to shape Colombia’s vibrant cultural identity.

C.Pawlowski--GL