the 'decolonisation' of British museums is a curious process, given that most museums with any historical aspect are effectively and unavoidably based on the imperialist narrative. Virtually all now participate in its acknowledgement.
on 27 September the NPG in London will host a day of presentations organised by the Centre for Museum Cultures at Birkbeck, surveying the British scene. These include Reflections on Entangled Pasts at the Royal Academy and the Re-hang at Tate Britain, plus curatorial reports on the Bluecoat and Walker art galleries in Liverpool, Bristol art gallery and Manchester art gallery, with contributions from UCL's Legacies of British Slavery, the University of Birmingham, Devi Art Foundation, the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Melbourne. Given the familiar focus on Caribbean slavery, there's a welcome input on the 'Indian' empire, plus case studies of the Beckford legacy at Fonthill, the origins of 'Casta' and the infamous Rex Whistler mural in Tate Millbank's restaurant.
Program from
BEAGworkshop@gmail.com
