i already finished the introduction, please talk abt those in the essay:
1. case study 1: Wereldmuseum/VolkenkundeMuseum/Troppen Museum (Dutch National Museum of World Cultures) and their decolonizing museum plan. (history, how did they do refers to “unlearn” imperialism in the museum, and is the results effective)
2. alice procter — Uncomfortable art tours, please also relate to her book “The whole picture”, relate to the topic. mention some reports results from the project, for example, who is the main audience for the tours (mainly are white women and someone who is interested abt the colonization histories) and what does the results reflect.
3. Actionable Solutions: Removing imperialism in the museum environment requires conscious acknowledgment and addressing of the legacy of colonialism and imperialism. This may involve the repatriation of cultural treasures and a more collaborative and participatory approach to the collection, management and presentation of cultural heritage. For example….. (Museums open up more collaborative projects and friendly connections with the communities they collect artefacts from.)
4.Results: In conclusion, unleashing imperialism in museums is a complex and ongoing process that requires critical reflection and engagement with the communities that exhibit their cultural heritage. (Back to the cases mentioned above, to confirm that what they did was helpful to forget imperialism or to illustrate that this complex and challenging process is advisable, possible and implementable.
Available topics:
1. How the narrative of the museum fills the present for the future, that is, how to present the history of the present. Case approach: How contemporary ethnological museums deal with issues of their colonial past.
2. Simply trace back the background of individual related museums.
3. Recent cases of large museums returning colonial collections.
4. Since 1960, the development of new trends of thought such as the global civil rights movement has promoted the new thinking of some museum scholars, which has led to some changes in the past collection form of museums that mainly focused on objects. In this new wave, the biggest critics come from the global “indigenous movement”, which believes that culture and the identity of cultural relics are closely related. Therefore, aborigines around the world have begun to demand that museums return their collections of aboriginal cultural relics .
5. In April 2022, Glasgow announced that it would return all 17 ancient Benin bronzes it currently has in its collection to Nigeria. In addition, it will return 7 Indian cultural relics and 25 cultural relics of the North American aborigines, the Lakta. It is the largest return of cultural relics ever undertaken in Scotland. Intended to initiate the first steps towards “Cultural Justice and Museum Decolonization”.
Responding to this perception, the Department of Museums at the University of Glasgow has curated an exhibition titled Discomfort in 2021. In a curatorial note, the scholars stated their view that as long as museums house collections from donors who have benefited from practices such as racial slavery, violence, forced relocation and the systematic oppression of indigenous peoples, white supremacy Ideology is perpetuated, a system in which white Western ideology controls textual narratives and material resources. The British Empire used these ideologies to justify the enslavement and colonization of people and lands around the world. Museums have grown in this context, and they remain spaces that celebrate and commemorate colonial institutions. We are only now realizing that we are not neutral, that we are still complicit in the colonial ideology that has perpetuated centuries past.
6. French President Macron called on European museums to return cultural relics acquired during the colonial period. In this regard, Thomas said that although this view is noble, he still has doubts about the pros and cons of returning cultural relics, saying that it cannot be generalized.
7. Duncan Dornan admitted that to this day, retrieving lost cultural relics is still a difficult, complicated, and resource-intensive task that requires not only cultural awareness, but also superb diplomacy. From the perspective of Western museums, he believes that for sensitive issues such as the return of cultural relics, although “it is impossible for us to draw conclusions, museums should do their best to engage in dialogue with countries that are looking for cultural relics in British collections.” In some cases, the answer may be restitution, while in others it may be clearer and more transparent about the history of the artifacts, how they were taken, and what they mean for the country of origin and the country in which they are currently located. What.”
8. Difficulties in the return of cultural relics from the colonial period – international conventions and the rule of law within countries will become obstacles. For example, although French President Macron called for the return of African cultural relics, he stated in the French “Heritage Code” promulgated in 2004 that strict registration and protection measures were adopted for movable cultural relics with historical value, such as works of art. Registered collections such as It is owned by the state and its ownership cannot be transferred. In 2022, after the French National Assembly voted and voted by the Senate, the 27 cultural relics at that time had to be returned to Africa.