The Decolonisation of Museums

Last summer, I visited London for the first time. Having heard a lot of positive things about the British Museum, I was excited to go. As a result of the name, I went with the expectation that the contents of the museum would be... British. Most exhibits within the museum were anything but British. I had a basic knowledge of British colonialism and its enormous influence on museums, but I had no idea of the scale in which objects were taken from their place of origin. This project is a reaction to my experience, aiming to discuss the decolonisation of museums in a humorous way.

The outcomes consist of packaging and display manuals for items owned by the British Museum. All items featured were taken from foreign countries during times of colonial rule and were therefore most likely stolen. Considering the vast amount of items the British took from countries around the globe, it occurred to me that they must have felt little or no remorse for their actions. By packaging historical items from various cultures in a consumer-friendly style (mimicking IKEA), I present this state of mind in a contemporary context. The manuals work to highlight museums’ seemingly indifferent approach to displaying stolen items.