The existence of museums is essential in enabling human beings to trace historical events to understand how past individuals and activities were undertaken. Some of the stories in the museums reflect actual life histories, such as slavery and the living standards of the individuals who benefited from the practices. Historians, artists, and monument curators believe that exhibiting the artifacts may substantially impact the lives of visitors; hence, they have been pushing for decolonizing the institutions to ensure minimum effects occurs.
In Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum displays real-life stories of slavery, indicating how human beings were treated as properties or items. The short videos depict the kind of life those people were going through. The collections contain paintings and objects from various countries displaying the state of slavery in the past. Similarly, in the case of Bode-Museum, the arts are from different countries across the continent. Placing the artifacts together shows an element of comparison based on the sources of the items. The placement allows viewers to identify similarities and variations amongst the various works of art, leading to different interpretations.1 The separation of objects in the museum made some items be termed ethnological and works of art artifacts. This organization created superiority on the objects displayed in the institution.
Chrysler Museum in Richmond developed a tendency of double-takes, a form of pairing different individuals with varied histories. The paintings are located at the entry point to the monument, where visitors can easily observe them. According to some of the curators and educators within the institution, they believed the approach would incite racial discrimination factor among the viewers.2 They viewed the idea as a way of creating a boundary between the people based on their color.
The establishment of Africa Museum in Belgium where several artists were contacted to create portraits that indicate the colonization of Africa. The institution contains various galleries within its premise exhibiting the processes that people went through during the reign of King Leopold. He used the museum and the available collections to attract the attention of investors for his benefit and gain the popularity of Belgians. Different Congolese objects and a village were created in Belgium.
The National Gallery of Canada has a collection of works of art that reflects different perspectives and cultural setups. It contains indigenous, European, and Canadian artifacts that display the historical backgrounds of the people. The institution shares knowledge about the items through visual art. The arrangement plan of the museum indicated that there is a connection beyond the pictures people view. Therefore, the organization opted for further decolonizing the National Gallery to develop a conducive and welcoming atmosphere for viewers to enhance social equity.
Generally, art historians, critics, and museum curators believe that the arrangement and display of the collections within the showrooms should be redesigned. Some of the artifacts have a painful correlation to past events. Exhibiting them to the people whose forefathers or community were victims may generate conflicting thoughts. For instance, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam displays collections of trailers and paintings of slaves and the lifestyle they underwent during slavery induces painful memories in viewers who are closely related to them.
The artist uses different platforms to show their concern about decolonizing the museums. Museum curators train their staff members on what to educate the viewers and what to include in the showroom. Furthermore, they make the decision of what collection to be sold in the institution’s galleries.3 The critiques are addressed to the organizers of the monuments to ensure they promote the process of decolonizing the work of art.
Because of cultural differences, museums face the challenge of deciding what objects to display to the viewers. The institutions also have issues with grouping the collection since some are ethnological, and others are grouped as works of art. The most urgent history worth addressing is the impacts of slavery and racial discrimination that took place in the past. They can efficiently fuel misunderstanding amongst the people hence lowering social equity. Furthermore, other aspects to talk about are the individuals’ political, social, and cultural relations, especially the native group, to make them feel part of the community. These elements are not effectively tackled; for instance, the collections economically benefited the wealthy families who invested in the museums. The critiques have gained attention since most of the institutions have started formulating ways of accommodating viewers to experience the beauty of the arts. The need for unity and to eradicate racial discrimination has prompted the decolonization of the monuments.
In conclusion, the various cases of the different museums indicate how the collection and display of the artifacts impact the institutions. Art historians and museum curators have adopted ways to criticize the arrangement and choice of objects to display in the showroom for viewers. Decolonization aims to introduce inclusivity in the institution to ensure all cultures and artifacts are well presented. It is believed that through the process, museums and histories would enhance social equity.
Bibliography
Apoh, Wazi. “Sankofatization and decolonization: The Rapprochement of German Museums and Government with Colonial Objects and Postcolonialism.” Museum Anthropology 43, no. 1 (2020): 29-44.
Rivet, Michèle. “Decolonization and Restitution: Moving Towards a More Holistic and Relational Approach: Report on the Panel on Ethnographic Museums and Indigenous People, ICOM Kyoto, September 2019.” Museum Worlds 8, no. 1 (2020): 204-209. Web.
Voirol, Beatrice. “Decolonization in the Field?.” TSANTSA–Journal of the Swiss Anthropological Association 24 (2019): 48-57. Web.
Footnotes
- Apoh, Wazi. “Sankofatization and decolonization: The Rapprochement of German Museums and Government with Colonial Objects and Postcolonialism.” Museum Anthropology 43, no. 1 (2020): 29-44. Web.
- Rivet, Michèle. “Decolonization and Restitution: Moving Towards a More Holistic and Relational Approach: Report on the Panel on Ethnographic Museums and Indigenous People, ICOM Kyoto, September 2019.” Museum Worlds 8, no. 1 (2020): 204-209. Web.
- Voirol, Beatrice. “Decolonization in the Field?.” TSANTSA–Journal of the Swiss Anthropological Association 24 (2019): 48-57. Web.