Elaborations of the traumatic through art: Refuge, culture, and memory

This article aims to discuss the possible traumas caused by refuge situations, as well as the potential of art to help in their elaboration. Based on an interlocution between psychoanalysis and critical social theories, we develop some considerations about the psychology of trauma and about the process of psychological elaboration through art. We understand that the contact with artistic creation, whether in the position of creator, spectator or in the art therapy, has the effect of cultural inclusion of refugees in the host country, as well as the creation of collective memories. We believe that cultural inclusion and the creation of memories contribute to the psychic elaboration of violence, loss, and grief that usually characterize refuge, besides pluralizing experiences and dynamizing society. © 2022, Scalabriniano Center for Migratory Studies. All rights reserved.