In recent years, decolonising museums has become a hot topic, particularly in art and culture. Roque (2020, p.66) defines decolonising museums as an activity that seeks to transform the evolutionary as well as a positivist aspect of a given exhibition into a co-curatorship under which the local communities opt to take precedence by participating in the management, interpretation, display as well as the mediation of their heritage. Decolonizing a museum is a process that seeks to address the avenues through which museums have perpetuated ideologies alongside power dynamics in the colonial and contemporary eras since ancient times. It may imply, for example, re-evaluating and re-contextualizing how artifacts and artworks are displayed and interpreted in a Tate museum, a modern museum, as opposed to a traditional museum such as the British Museum, while challenging the biases and narratives that have been imposed and presented concerning them. It refers to a process that acknowledges but addresses how museums have perpetuated colonialism and white supremacy since ancient times, as well as the functioning that seeks to eliminate those systems and practices (Pitman, 2021, p.14). it is a process that incorporates a wide range of efforts that includes revisiting alongside reinterpreting the narratives which are told about artworks alongside the artifacts that are displayed, diversifying some of the collections as well as the museum’s leadership and passionately seeking out the voices and amplify the agents together with the perceptions of the communities that are marginalized. This essay investigates the decolonization of museums, identifying the challenges and opportunities using two case studies: Tate Modern, a contemporary museum containing mostly modern art, and the British Museum, a traditional museum containing mostly traditional pieces of art.
In light of the Tate Modern alongside the British Museum, which both have a significantly large collection of art and artifacts across the globe, it is evident that decolonization efforts have taken place. The artifacts collected in Tate Museum are predominantly different from those gathered in the British Museum, representing museums’ decolonization. Since ancient times, British Museum has been popular based on its collections of art and artifacts from across the globe and has many artworks acquired from the British Empire. On the other hand, the Tate museum is largely made of collections predominantly contemporary as well as paintings. Therefore, the disparities in terms of the collections with the respective museums imply the reflections with the focus alongside the mission within the mission of each institution (Minott, 2019).
The decolonization of museums entails incorporating several efforts that are designed to re-evaluate as well as diversify artwork alongside exhibitions that are presented, increasing the representation of artists from historically marginalised or colonised communities as well as acknowledging and addressing the role that colonialism has undertaken throughout the formation alongside the presentation of cultural institutions. Decolonising is a work in progress in Tate Modern that seeks to sort those issues and strive to establish more inclusivity and representatives in its programming along with exhibitions. Similarly, the British Museum is a London-based museum with a collection of art and cultural artefacts from across the globe. Decolonising the British museum, similar to any other museum, entails critically examining how the museum has presented its collection and the stories it narrates concerning them. It also entails evaluating the narratives utilized to describe the objects within the collection and trying to incorporate more diverse perspectives and voices while making interpretations of the collections made over time. In addition, it entails acknowledging the way the histories of colonialism, as well as the exploitations, have shaped the collection of numerous objects in the museum’s collection, along with working to address the ongoing impacts based on these histories on contemporary society.
In comparison, Tate Modern and the British museum are popular cultural entities within the UK. They contain important collections of art as well as artefacts acquired from different regions in the global space. Tate Modern predominantly concentrates on collections perceived as modern and contemporary art, such as the “persistence of Memory” piece of art by Salvador Dali. Salvador Dali made the artwork in 1931, and most people regard it as a surrealist masterpiece. It is a display of the melting clocks alongside other objects, such as a surreal landscape popular for exploring concepts within a time and the subconscious state of mind. The museum also contains other artworks by contemporary artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Mark Rothko, among others.
On the other hand, the British Museum contains a world of history and a culture drawn from the world and has artefacts such as the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles. Tate Modern has predominantly taken steps geared towards the decolonisation of museums across the globe. For instance, the artworks collected represent a modern piece of art that seeks to promote a large extent of inclusivity and diversity based on the artifacts collections alongside programming. It is crucial to understand that the decolonising the museum is a work in progress; hence there are challenges as well as opportunities that are presented based on the process.
The first challenge of decolonising museums entails confronting and acknowledging how such institutions have perpetuated colonial ideologies and narratives. This can be a complicated process, as it may require re-examining long-held beliefs and practices and recognising the harm caused by these practices. It may also involve acknowledging the museums’ role in supporting and legitimising colonial systems of power and oppression (Murphy, 2021). In the case of the British Museum, confronting and acknowledging how the museum has perpetuated colonial ideologies and narratives requires re-examining long-held beliefs and practices and recognising the harm caused by these practices. It also involves recognising the museum’s role in supporting and legitimising colonial systems of power and oppression. This can be a complex and emotional process, as it requires acknowledging and taking responsibility for how the museum has contributed to the marginalisation and oppression of particular groups. However, it is an essential step toward creating a more equitable and inclusive museum environment. On the hand, the decolonisation of the Tate Museum experiences the hurdle of confronting and challenging the dominant narratives alongside ways of understanding the world that the institution has promoted. Such narratives often reflect on the values and perspectives of the colonisers and perpetuate a distorted and limited understanding based on the histories and cultures of colonised people. The colonisation process is a process that mandates the individual’s willingness to fundamentally transform how the instruction can operate and the stories that it narrates in a bid to better reflect on the diversity and complexities regarding the world in which individuals reside.
Second challenge is addressing how colonial power dynamics have shaped the museum’s collections and exhibitions. Decolonising museums requires finding ways to reinterpret and display these objects in a way that acknowledges and respects the perspectives of colonised and marginalised communities. This may involve returning or repatriating objects to their origin countries or working with indigenous communities to create more meaningful and culturally appropriate exhibitions. There are also practical challenges to decolonising these museums, such as finding resources and funding to support these efforts. This may involve seeking new partnerships and collaborations and diversifying the museums’ funding base. Decolonising a museum such as the British Museum and Tate Museum is a complicated and challenging process (Giblin et al., 2019, p.471).
The decolonisation of the British and Tate Museums facilitates some potential opportunities. The decolonisation of the British Museum will establish a greater recognition alongside acknowledging the histories and contributions of individuals and countries. This helps to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures and histories that make up our world. It also helps to address the injustices and inequalities inflicted upon these groups throughout history. By learning about and acknowledging the experiences of colonised peoples and countries, we can work towards creating a more equitable and respectful society for all.
Another opportunity is that it is essential to have a diverse and representative collection of art and artefacts that reflect the global nature of human history and culture (Lehmuskallio, 2021). This helps to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures and histories that make up our world. It also helps to ensure that the stories and experiences of all groups are represented and recognised. By including a range of art and artefacts from different cultures and periods, museums and other cultural institutions can provide a more complete and accurate representation of human history and culture. This can also promote greater inclusion and belonging for people from diverse backgrounds.
It is essential to provide the opportunity to reassess and challenge the narratives and perspectives that have traditionally been presented in museums and to promote alternative viewpoints and histories. This helps ensure that the stories and experiences of all groups are represented and recognised. It can also promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures and histories that make up our world (Minott, 2019, p.559). By encouraging the exploration and examination of different perspectives and histories, museums and other cultural institutions can promote a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the past. This can also help to promote a greater sense of inclusion and belonging for people from diverse backgrounds (Tate, 2017).
The Second opportunity is to develop more meaningful and respectful relationships with indigenous communities and other historically marginalized or underrepresented groups within the museum collections. Building more meaningful and respectful relationships with indigenous communities and other groups historically marginalised or underrepresented in museum collections is essential. This helps ensure that the stories and experiences of these groups are represented and recognised respectfully and accurately. It can also promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures and histories that make up our world. By building partnerships with these communities, museums and other cultural institutions can work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society. This can also promote greater inclusion and belonging for people from diverse backgrounds.
Museums provide an opportunity to create more inclusive and assessable museum spaces that are welcoming as well as relevant to a diverse range of visitors. The museums should be more inclusive and promote accessibility to every visitor. This can be achieved through various measures, such as providing audio guides or written materials in multiple languages, offering sensory-friendly or tactile tours, and ensuring that the physical space is easily navigable for people with disabilities (Whittington, V., 2021, p.250). Additionally, museums can work to diversify their collections and exhibits so that they are more representative of the communities they serve and can provide programming and events that are tailored to the interests and needs of different groups. By taking these steps, museums can create an environment that is welcoming and relevant to a diverse range of visitors (Giblin et al., 2019, p.472).
In conclusion, the decolonisation of museums is a process that seeks to transform the traditional hierarchy and power dynamics of cultural institutions and to recognise and address the impacts of colonialism on their collections and exhibitions. It involves the incorporation of diverse perspectives and voices and acknowledging and addressing the histories of colonialism and exploitation that have shaped museum collections. The decolonisation process presents challenges and opportunities and requires the active participation and co-curatorship of local communities. Case studies such as the Tate Modern and the British Museum demonstrate the ongoing efforts and progress towards decolonisation in these institutions and highlight the importance of acknowledging and addressing the histories and impacts of colonialism in museum spaces.
Reference List
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Lehmuskallio, L., 2021. Representation matters: national identity, marginalisation and intersectionality in permanent exhibition curation and museum strategy of the National Museum of Finland. From https://taju.uniarts.fi/handle/10024/7413
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Murphy, S.A., 2021. Revisiting Raffles: Knowledge, power, and decolonial possibilities. From https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/36772
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Tate (2017) Soul of a nation: Art in the age of Black Power: Tate Modern, Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/soul-nation-art-age-black-power (Accessed: January 4, 2023).
Whittington, V., 2021. Decolonising the museum? Dilemmas, possibilities, alternatives. Culture Unbound, 13(2), pp.250-274. From https://cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/article/view/3296
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