Decolonizing provenance research

Experiences in co-constructing knowledge and negotiating the future of colonial collections

International conference

Auditorium of MEG
Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th November 2021

About

There are many initiatives in the field of “provenance research” (PR) of colonial collections in Europe today, as well as conferences on this theme. The distinctive aspect of the MEG – Musée d’ethnographie de Genève's proposal lies in the gathering of an international panel where the floor is given to six "tandems" of people who have in-depth expertise and original experiences in terms of participative provenance research that lead to a co-construction of knowledge and diverse solutions for re-appropriation. These tandems are generally composed of both museum professionals and collections' stakeholders from various cultural backgrounds, with no direct link to Swiss collections. In some cases more voices are invited directly in the presentations. The speakers are called to report on joint experiences in the co-construction of research methodologies, the revitalization of indigenous knowledge and practices, and the promotion of creativity around objects from disputed or historically sensitive colonial collections.

The aim of this conference is to broaden the scope of reflection around the question of "provenance research" from a decolonial perspective, i.e. critical, ethical, sustainable and equitable. This can and must be much more than a documentary research operation followed by a “data sharing”, and more than a possible administrative treatment aiming at the hypothetical physical return of an object or a collection for moral or legal reasons. Decolonial PR is a unique opportunity to develop equitable relationships with bearers of culture linked to colonial collections in our museums. It has given rise, in some cases, to diverse and enriching experiences. Discussants approach PR in an original and innovative way: rather than treating the objects from a merely archival, administrative and academic point of view, as it is essentially done in museums in Europe, PR is here approached in a broader manner. Through its heuristic and relational potential, it allows a new way of thinking: more creative than methodological, more experimental than systematic, more committed than disciplinary, more anthropological than historical.

When a delegation from an indigenous people, for example, goes to a museum to consult collections, its members might not be doing "provenance research" just for the sake of historical knowledge. As the representative of a First Nation once kindly told one of us, they do not really need Western scholars to tell them for how many centuries they suffered oppression, and in which despicable conditions they were spoiled of their cultural properties. They often go in search of objects that have spiritual value, that have a filiation with the living, or a potential in terms of well-being. Decolonized PR approaches, as discussed in this conference, can make it possible to revive narratives or practices that strengthen the cohesion of the group, its identity or its memory. Their method is likely to be based more on visual examination of the objects and clues they present than on a study of archival documents, not excluding the latter, obviously. Moreover, it is not so much the knowledge of the mode of acquisition – or of spoliation of the object and its author – that may interest them, than the potential benefits of a temporary meeting with, or repatriation of the very object. In this context, bonds of trust, dialogue and engaged collaboration with the people in charge of these collections are sometimes built over many years. From all this, museum professionals at large can learn a great deal and adapt their praxis in a relevant, more respectful and mutually enriching way. Developing relationships of trust and fair exchanges with communities from where objects originate, in contexts that are sometimes sensitive and always idiosyncratic, is one of MEG's strategic goals.

Beyond the simple identification of objects, and their provenance in the strict sense of the term, the conference speakers take into account the subjective aspects of the relationship to the object or collection, the political aspect of research and relationship to institutions, the educational and creative potential of these approaches, and the ethical component intrinsic to the development of collaborative work: jointly exploring archives, listening to others, gathering and confronting disparate data, merging, diversifying and enriching narratives, reactivating know-how, re-membering indigenous knowledge, taking contrasting positions, promoting innovation and multiple ways of thinking and proceeding. Ultimately, such approaches go far beyond the need of legality and transparency in the field of provenance research as routinely practiced in European museums, adding the paramount notion of equity in the core of the working process.

Today, Swiss provenance researchers are relatively little involved in the field in the countries of origin of the collections, and still rarely collaborate in their own field with people whose origin or social group has a filiation with the collections. The speakers’ presentations will reflect a more decolonial approach to PR, rooted in experimental fieldwork practice, fostering the co-construction of knowledge and the negotiation of the future of colonial collections. This has been the main criteria in our search for speakers. Opening up to colonial collections and cases without any direct link to the Swiss context should contribute to a greater independence of mind and freedom of speech in the debates with our curators and both local and international audience.

Among its recently defined strategic goals, the MEG intends to promote both the creation and the co-construction of knowledge by questioning its collections and developing new links with the living bearers of culture and other stakeholders. The aim of this conference is therefore to share the experience and inspiration of these speakers with the Swiss museum community as well as with students, while at the same time offering access to an audience as wide as possible. Taking the form of a think tank, this conference provides an intellectual and creative impetus, promoting debate and anchoring the MEG in a determined and equitable decolonial perspective for future projects. This event could be one of the first milestones of a new and sustainable collaborative practice around sensitive collections that we wish to share with our partners and our public.

This conference is made possible by the support of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture FOC.

Boris Wastiau and Aude Polito, conference conveners