Resilient digital curation in a museum without a physical headquarters

the use of Tainacan in the face of the climate crisis at the Anthropological Museum of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

This article analyzes the adoption of the Tainacan platform as a strategy for resilient digital curation in the context of climate emergency, based on the experience of the Museu Antropológico do Rio Grande do Sul (MARS). Faced with a historical lack of a permanent physical headquarters and the vulnerabilities exposed by the 2024 flood, the museum began using Tainacan as a tool to ensure institutional continuity, expand public access to cultural heritage, and strengthen its social presence. The study outlines the stages of inventory, cataloging, digitization, and publication in an open digital environment, highlighting how digital management can mitigate risks, democratize access to memory, and affirm the cultural rights of Indigenous, Quilombola, and traditional communities. It concludes that, in times of climate crisis, museums must be understood as active agents in promoting sustainability and socio-environmental justice, and that digital platforms such as Tainacan offer concrete pathways for building adaptive and inclusive cultural policies.