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Studium Generale | Decolonising the Museum - Susan Susan Legêne, Wayne Modest

Wanneer:di 15-02-2022 20:00 - 21:30
Waar:Academy Building, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

The Netherlands has been struggling with its colonial collections for some time now. Which objects of colonial origin are in the collections of Dutch museums, how did they end up here, should we send them back and what kind of story do they tell – here and in the countries of origin? In October 2020, the Gonçalves Committee advised Minister van Engelshoven (Culture) to return objects looted from former Dutch colonies. Objects of great cultural value that have not been demonstrably stolen should also be returned by the state, owner of much of the artifacts. One of the challenges facing these reconciliations is that countries or communities that once owned the objects often do not know that these items are located in the Netherlands. In fact, some of our museums have a poor overview of (the origin of) their collections, or don't know how to handle what they have in store. The research project Pressing Matters, chaired by Susan Legêne (VU) and Wayne Modest (VU), investigates the origin of colonial objects in Dutch museums. Jennifer Tosch will lead the conversation.
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