Decolonial Museology Recentered: Thinking Theory and Practice through East-Central Europe
Decolonial Museology Recentered (DMR) addresses the lack of decolonial discourse in the Polish museum landscape and helps develop critical museology in Poland in both theory and in practice. Co-investigators Erica Lehrer and Joanna Wawrzyniak are working with Dr. Joanna Wasilewska (Director, Asia and Pacific Museum, Warsaw) to mentor student and postdoctoral researchers as we survey the range of colonial histories and decolonial approaches to museum collections and curatorial practices in Poland and the broader ECE region. The research process gives particular emphasis to the needs, challenges, and aspirations of representatives of ethnic minorities who are socially marginalized in Poland today.
We are producing theoretical and practical tools to help develop a broad conversation around decoloniality in Poland’s museums, including an edited volume representing groundbreaking, international scholarly research surveying the field of decolonial museology in the East-Central European context and considering what this regional case can contribute to the broader global discussion. A policy recommendations document, based on the insights of a Poland-based minority community consultation group convened by the project, will be debated and refined in a workshop with culture-sector leaders.