Numerous artefacts stemming from former colonies are still preserved in Swiss museums today, which bear witness to the participation of many Swiss men and women in the colonial ventures of European nations.
The two-day international symposium Ready for the Past? On the State of Decolonisation in Swiss Museums was held at the University of Lausanne on 4 and 5 May 2022 to take a closer look at these objects and at the cultural practices (provenance research, restitution, postcolonial narratives) that aim to recontextualise them.
Fabio Rossinelli (Mendrisio) wrote a conference report of this event, which is now available online and in PDF format.
Picture credits
A 17th/18th century mask from Benin, currently in the collection of the Rietberg museum. Inv.-Nr. 2011.9. Link