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https://theconversation.com/belgiums-africamuseum-has-a-dark-colonial-past-its-making-slow-progress-in-confronting-this-history-208327>
"Racist displays and stories remain on display in several western European
museums. They include grotesque objects depicting African people as “savage”
and “wild”. Narratives of a “continent without history” and fantasies of
European superiority are still told in ethnographic museums, like the Humboldt
Forum in Berlin and the Musée du quai Branly in Paris.
These museums have been criticised by scholars and activists since the 1970s.
Their handling of objects looted during the colonial period, especially from
Africa, is seen as an indicator of the political relations between Europe and
African nations.
Criticism ranges from the illegitimate acquisition of the objects to the
often-racist representation of the African continent and its inhabitants. It
also includes the lack of participation by African and diasporic actors.
After initial hesitation, Belgium, a former colonial power, opened itself to
debate about reparations, justice and a common future with its African partners
in the late 1990s.
This change in attitude was accelerated by mounting pressure from the Black
Lives Matter movement in Belgium. International advances by other former
colonial powers like France, Germany and Great Britain in the restitution
debate also created impetus.
The AfricaMuseum in the Tervuren suburb is at the centre of these debates in
Belgium. It’s an institution in the process of repairing its troubled history.
As a white and privileged researcher who focuses on colonial memory, racism and
anti-colonial movements in Europe, my perspective on the AfricaMuseum is
divided. For more than 10 years, the museum has been part of my cultural
studies research. In my view, the museum is marked by a dusty past and has
shown little evidence of post-colonial self-reflection. On the other hand,
there are serious efforts to change."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
