Andrea Potts

I am interested in how museum exhibitions represent histories of European colonialism and how these histories are engaged with by audiences. Through researching these processes in museums in Britain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, I assess what role contemporary museum exhibitions in Europe play in mediating how people engage with the colonial past. 

 

Many European museums are currently experimenting with exhibiting colonialism, yet are guided by an ill-defined discourse of decolonisation. My research contributes to an understanding of what decolonising in the museum means in practice by focusing on the impact of exhibitionary practices on audiences, which has been neglected in museum studies and practice.