Half a century has passed since the independence of the last Portuguese colonies in Africa and the East, marking the end of Europe’s longest colonial empire. Two generations have since grown up without direct experience of colonialism, yet postcolonial issues remain influential in contemporary society, especially in debates around heritage. On the one hand, there are discussions on decolonising European museum collections and repatriating art from the former colonies; on the other, there is ongoing debate over whether to preserve heritage created during colonial rule, alongside the complex symbolisms that such heritage evokes. However, this special issue of ARTis ON, published in collaboration with the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Shared Built Heritage, does not focus on these topics, important though they are. Instead, it addresses the safeguarding of heritage during the colonial period, examining the processes, ideologies, people, and institutions involved in preserving cultural heritage in colonies under European rule.
