Decolonizing Museums: Perspectives and Progress

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Annotated Bibliography
References

Abstract

The topic I chose for the final paper is the decolonization of museums. The paper will focus on explaining the need for modern museums’ decolonization. The paper will also define how Mining the Museum installation, created by Fred Wilson, presents an exemplary case of perspective that goes against the current status of museums as active participants of knowledge colonization. Thus, the paper aims to explore the impact of Wilson’s installation on the discussion about the need for museums’ decolonization.

Firstly, to understand the need for modern museums’ decolonization, it is necessary to define the connection between museums and colonialism. According to Maranda (2022), in their nature, museums present a manifestation of colonialism as they developed from cabinets of curiosities that focused on collecting unusual foreign objects. Furthermore, Denning (2018) emphasizes the role of museums in interpreting non-Western cultures to Western audiences. Denning (2018) suggests that the museums’ approach to interpretation was oriented toward middle and upper-class audiences, which contributed to the creation of the colonialism dynamic. Thus, museums support the colonialism power dynamics where powerful and wealthy Westerners impose their views on other people.

The decolonization of museums aligns with their goal to work with communities that present the places of origin for museums’ collections. Moreover, the decolonization of museums plays a vital role in restoring Indigenous worldviews, which were extensively replaced by Western culture (Rivet 2020). The discussion of the topic is critical now because the post-COVID period of museums’ reopening should determine further possibilities for the development of social advocacy in museums (Anderson 2020). Mining the Museum installation presents a significant example of how museums can promote alternative national narratives in the age of fights for equality.

Annotated Bibliography

Anderson, Stephanie. 2020. “Unsettling national narratives and multiplying voices: the art museum as renewed space for social advocacy and decolonization – a Canadian case study.” Museum Management and Curatorship 35 (5): 488-531.

The article presents a case study focused on analyzing the construction of national identity in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada. The study explains how narrative frameworks can be critically studied to improve the reflection of social advocacy and decolonization in museums. The author also suggests that the reopening of museums after the COVID-19 closures presents an important step in the development of museums as active agents after the wave of global social justice protests.

Denning, Robert. 2018. “From “Cabinets of Curiosities” to decolonization: A crash course in museum studies.” In Defining the museum of the 21st century: Evolving multiculturalism in museums in the United States, edited by Yun Shun Susie Chung, Anna Leshchenko, and Bruno Brulon Soares, 29-34. Paris: ICOFOM.

The speech focuses on defining museums’ connection with colonialism by exploring the history of museum studies. The author emphasizes the differences between modern museums and their earlier versions, suggesting that modern museums should be more community-oriented and therefore reflect stories from different groups of the population. The author also emphasizes the role of museums in social advocacy by becoming the places of activism for local communities.

Maranda, Lynn. 2022. “Decolonization within the Museum.” ICOFOM Study Series 49 (2): 180-195.

The article studies the question of museums’ decolonization through two primary perspectives. The first perspective examines the nature of museums as being a construct of Western culture created to collect unusual or foreign oddities. The second perspective explores the colonization aspects in museums’ capability to collect materials from descendants of the people who owned them.

Rivet, Michèle. 2020. “Decolonization and restitution: Moving towards a more holistic and relational approach.” Museum Worlds: Advances in Research 8(1): 204-209.

The article explores the meaning behind the concept of museums’ decolonization. The author explains that decolonization targets the restoration of the Indigenous worldview. The author also emphasizes that decolonization is not solely focused on the decolonization of collections and exhibitions. The article explains that the decolonization of museums should cultivate the population’s critical thinking and freedom of speech and contribute to the development of human rights in modern society. Lastly, the article summarizes the ongoing efforts in the decolonization of museums.

References

Maranda, Lynn. 2022. “Decolonization within the Museum.” ICOFOM Study Series 49 (2): 180-195.

Rivet, Michèle. 2020. “Decolonization and restitution: Moving towards a more holistic and relational approach.” Museum Worlds: Advances in Research 8(1): 204-209.

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Decolonizing Museums: Perspectives and Progress

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