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Issue 24 Editorial: Are museums irredeemable colonial projects? Nina Finigan explores what institutions remember, what they forget, and what this means for society in her compelling essay ‘In Search of Power and Resistance’ (p.42). Dan Hicks considers the temporal, political, and imaginative limits of archaeology as he argues for the re-purposing of museums, stating that “the familiar euphemisms about ‘contested’, ‘uncomfortable’, or ‘difficult’ histories are no longer adequate” (p.26). Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell, who wrote the powerful ‘Taking a Stand Against Neutrality’ essay in our previous issue, puts it perfectly when she says: “As museum practitioners we can allow museums to be a tool of the establishment, the powered, even the oppressor. But through a reflective practice and a reimagining of our purpose, we can instead exercise the power of the museum towards challenging the status quo.” I am thrilled that Nina, Dan and Kayleigh will all be speaking at our annual Museum Ideas conference this year, along with other vital voices who advocate for positive and necessary change, including Masum Momaya, Abira Hussein, Dan Vo, Nicola Bird, and Liam Wiseman. Perhaps the most direct appeal for change in this issue is by artist and curator Sufea Mohamad Noor when she simply asks that “those who are in a privileged position use their power to make space for those who have been historically marginalised from decision-making in galleries” (p.32). It is only right that they do. By the way, Nina does not propose we abandon the idea of museums, as she concludes “…it means quite the opposite; it means we work harder to question the default narratives we have inherited and perhaps unwittingly perpetuate; it means we challenge power.” We agree and look forward to challenging privilege and the status quo at Museum Ideas 2019. Gregory Chamberlain
Issue 24 contributors: Dan Hicks, Professor of Contemporary Archaeology, University of Oxford; Sufea Mohamad Noor, artist and curator; Yana Barinova, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, Ukraine; Nina Finigan, Curator Manuscripts, Auckland War Memorial Museum – Tāmaki Paenga Hira, New Zealand; Tehmina Goskar, Director and Curator, Curatorial Research Centre; Ellen McAdam, Director, Birmingham Museums Trust; Ros Croker, Senior Manager: Partnerships and Outreach, Royal Museums Greenwich; and Frances Lloyd-Baynes, Head of Collections Information Management, Minneapolis Institute of Art, United States
Selected Articles in Issue 24:
Wellcome News – Wellcome Collection announces Melanie Keen as new director and prepares to open new gallery to explore trust, identity and health
Taking Careers to the Next Level – Gain exclusive access to world-leading experts by joining a course at the V&A – deepen the knowledge you need to further your career
Reframing Archaeology in Museums – Dan Hicks on how a new exhibition at the Pitt Rivers museum explores the temporal, political, and imaginative limits of archaeology
In The Game to Change The Game – Sufea Mohamad Noor on how the lack of representation in galleries is the key barrier when it comes to inclusive participation
Memory Lab: Feeling Key to Understanding – Yana Barinova on guarding against hatred, bigotry, and fascism, and helping to build a more empathetic and tolerant future
Power and Resistance in the Archive – Nina Finigan questions what institutions remember, what they forget, and what this means for the work they do and for society
Citizen Curators and Cultural Democracy – Tehmina Goskar on how a work-based curatorial training course provides alternative pathways into museum work
Museum of the Year – St Fagans National Museum of History in Wales wins £100,000 prize and is named Museum of the Year 2019
Birmingham Museums: The First 7 Years – Ellen McAdam on a transformational journey from uncertainty and low morale to success and a commitment to representation
The Perfect Partnership? Rosalind Croker on how as resources become scarcer community groups and museums have to work in partnership more successfully
Preserving Digital Art – Frances Lloyd-Baynes argues that when it comes to their relationship with digital technology, museums are not all on the same tech trajectory
Museums and Civic Society – New report challenges role currently played by arts organisations in relation to civic society, arguing that they have a responsibility to do more
