Post #5: The Light of Knowledge Shone Upon the Topic

Before saying what I have learned, I'll start with restating my research question, which has been recently revised, “How can African and Asian museums identify the European influences within their professional practices, deconstruct those influences, and form new models that better serve to reaffirm their native cultures?” Firstly, I have learned that Non-European museums are more willing to tackle controversial topics related to imperialism than European museums. For example, even in the French overseas territory of Reunion Island, in the planned Maison des Civilisations et de l’Unité Réunionnaise (MCUR), the staff was prepared to interpret the history of slavery on the island. Secondly, Non-European museums tend to interpret native cultural patrimony and ethnographic objects differently than European museums traditionally do. European museums have displayed these cultural objects as primitive or in such a way as to imply that the cultures that produced them are historical rather than modern. Museums in the countries/territories themselves, however, interpret their cultural objects as part of an ongoing story about the people -- the past informs both the present and the future. They want to distance themselves from a view that their cultures are primitive or dead.

Thirdly, I have learned about some of the challenges museums face in Africa and Asia. The MCUR was never ultimately created because of political backlash from the French mainland. Funding is a big problem in developing countries, where the central government does not have much money to spare to support cultural institutions. In recently independent countries, many museums face the struggle of convincing the public that they are no longer puppets of the former imperialist governments. Local communities often distrust museums because of the theft and appropriation of their cultural artifacts, and the apparent pandering to tourists. The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) is attempting to counteract these historical tensions and build relationships with communities by establishing "community museums" that promote local culture, including arts, language, and crafts. Because of the NMMZ's decolonizing efforts and culture affirmation, I have chosen one of their community museums, the BaTonga Community Museum as my case study.

I still need to learn about the sociological/anthropological reasons why it is important for a cultural group to have agency over the presentation of their own culture. It could also be interesting to look more into why communities distrust institutions. There may be some psychological and political aspects there. I also have to do more research about the history of European globalization and colonization, especially of the British in Zimbabwe.

Post #4: Repentance (Revised Statement of Topic)

My research question is, "How can African and Asian museums identify the European influences on their professional practices, techniques, and standards, deconstruct those influences, and form their own models of practice?" For the purposes of my research, I will define practices to include curation, exhibition design, interpretation, education, architectural design, and administration. For ideologies, I will include the valuation of art, selection of subject matter, judgement of what is appropriate to be preserved or accessioned, what should be displayed and how, and other topics. The ideologies of a museum inform its practices, and the standardization of practices can further endorse the ideologies. The themes I plan to explore in my research are European imperialism, globalization, and decolonization. In order to narrow the scope of my research, I will select one African or Asian museum to use as a case study. I will also examine global museum trends and trends within the country in which the case institution is located. The ideal case study candidate would be a museum that has a staff and administration that largely consists of people of color who are native to the country.

Sources:

• Ford, Caroline. “Museums after Empire in Metropolitan and Overseas France.” The Journal of Modern History 82, no. 3 (2010): 625–61. https://doi.org/10.1086/654828.

I will use this essay to research the relationship between French museums and museums in France's former colonies, including the socio-political tension created by French's possession of art acquired during the colonial period.

• Wandibba, Simiyu. "Museums in Africa." In Media and Identity in Africa, edited by Kimani Njogu and John Middleton, 245-57. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1r2b0x.24.

This text is a useful source for information about museums in pre-colonial Africa and the transformation to a European model during and after colonialism.

• Mawere, Munyaradzi, and Genius Tevera. “Zimbabwean Museums in the Digital Age: A Quest to Increase Museum Visibility in Public Space through Social Media.” In African Museums in the Making: Reflections on the Politics of Material and Public Culture in Zimbabwe, edited by Munyaradzi Mawere, Henry Chiwaura, and Thomas Panganayi Thondhlana, 247–68. Mankon, Bamenda: Langaa RPCIG, 2015. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvh9vwmh.13.

I will use this chapter to research how some African museums use engagement techniques compared to European museums.

• Mawere, Munyaradzi, and Tapuwa R. Mubaya. “‘A Shadow That Refuses to Leave’: The Enduring Legacy of Colonialism in Zimbabwean Museum Governance.” In African Museums in the Making: Reflections on the Politics of Material and Public Culture in Zimbabwe, edited by Munyaradzi Mawere, Henry Chiwaura, and Thomas Panganayi Thondhlana, 137–62. Mankon, Bamenda: Langaa RPCIG, 2015. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvh9vwmh.9.

The chapter will provide insight into how museums in Zimbabwe endeavor to decolonize their administrations in order to become socio-politically relevant to the Zimbabwean public, as well as tourists.

Post #3: And Lo, The Mist Took the Form of a Statement of Topic

For my thesis, I will research how Western museum's practices and ideas have influenced non-Western museums. Practices include curation, exhibition design, interpretation, education, architectural design, and administration. Ideas include, but are not limited to, valuation of art, selection of subject matter, judgement of what is appropriate to be preserved or accessioned, and what should be displayed and how. "Ideas" is essentially an exploration of the ideologies behind the "practices," or what leads to the practices. The anticipated themes are colonialism, imperialism, globalization, Western paternalism, decolonization, and national identity.

My research question is, "How have the practices, standards, and traditions of Euro-American, or Western, museums influenced those of non-Western museums, and how can non-Western museums deconstruct those influences?" I define non-Western museums as those operated in countries in which the majority of the population is not of predominantly European ancestry. In order to narrow the scope of my research, I will select one non-Western museum to use as a case study, although I will also examine larger global trends and trends within the country that the case institution is located in. The museum's staff and administration should largely consist of people of color who are native to the country.

Post #2: A Thesis is Conceived

Hello everyone,

I will be doing a research-based thesis on a socio-political topic, as it relates to museums. I decided to focus on this area because it is important for us to deconstruct the power structures that pervade our cultural institutions.

As of right now, I am pursuing the topic of how the practices of Euro-American museums influence those of non-Western museums. Specifically, I want to explore if or how imperialism and colonialism transmitted ideas about artistic ideals, curation, exhibition design, and administration. I was inspired to do this topic by reading about the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which seems to be greatly influenced by French art museums. So far, I have found a few sources that focus on African museums, specifically Nigerian ones. I will try to narrow my scope to a case study of one museum, and if I cannot do that, to one country.

The first topic I considered was, "How are museums sometimes used to legitimize government"? If the first topic doesn't work out, I will switch back to this one. I would explore the tactics governments use to endorse themselves through museums, including themes about propaganda, curation by elites, and financial influence.