Recurating Robben Island: cultural objects, digital memory, and the entropic afterlives of national heritage

A study of visitor-generated Instagram posts at Robben Island Museum reveals that digital artifacts challenge the museum’s official narrative of resilience and reconciliation, instead reflecting diverse interpretations of Apartheid’s legacy. Analyzing 500 South African visitors' posts, researchers found that these personal accounts—ranging from trauma to aesthetic appreciation—highlight the multivocality of public memory. This suggests a need for inclusive heritage management in post-conflict sites, where digital platforms mediate competing perspectives. The findings underscore how cultural entropy shapes national identity and call for participatory approaches to heritage conservation.

Coetzee, M. (2025). Recurating Robben Island: cultural objects, digital memory, and the entropic afterlives of national heritage. American Journal of Cultural Sociology, 14(2), 280–312. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-025-00260-0