Decolonizing the Museum

Catalog description

This course explores the current and long-standing debates over the restitution of African art work and the decolonization of museums. Coursework focuses on how museums shape discourses around colonization and influence the reception and circulation of African cultural productions. Students study literature, film, and artwork that take up the history of ethnographic collecting practices, colonial exhibitions, the creation of a foreign market for African art in France, and the postcolonial politics of contemporary museums such as the Quai Branly. They work closely with the College Art Galleries and meet with activists, artists, and curators. In the process, students will become more informed and critical readers of museum spaces. Satisfies French and Francophone Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Global Literary Theory major and minor requirement. Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Pre-requisite: FRE 220