Exhibition Barvalo, Roms, Sinti, Manouches, Gitans, Voyageurs

In the Romani language, barvalo means “rich” and, by extension, “proud”. This polysemous word serves as the title of the new Mucem exhibition, dedicated to the history and diversity of the Romani populations of Europe. A history inseparable from that of anti-Gypsyism, against which those who we sometimes continue to call “Gypsies” have been fighting for a millennium.

Developed in collaboration with the Eriac, the “Barvalo” exhibition was designed by a team of nineteen people of Romani origin (Roma, Sinti, Manouches, Gypsies, Travellers) and non-Romani, of nationalities and different profiles.

Throughout the exhibition, the visitor is virtually accompanied by four “guides” belonging to four distinct Romani groups. Their personal and family stories resonate with a broader and shared European history.

“Barvalo” won the 2023 Historical Exhibition Prize awarded by the Historia magazine