Danika Parikh - 'The RePresent Project: Community Curation and Colonial Museum Collections'

The RePresent Project: Community Curation and Colonial Museum Collections 

Objects tell many stories, and a museum label can only hold so much information. Moreover, labels are usually written by curators, who control what objects go on display and what information is being shared. In this way museums have the power to represent different objects and cultures to wider audiences by choosing which objects are displayed, and how. This talk discusses the RePresent Project, which focuses on community curation and re-labelling of colonial museum collections. The goal of RePresent is to subvert the white curatorial gaze, and re-focus our attention on systems of knowledge and understanding outside Western norms and academic expertise.  

RePresent launched in September 2020 with a virtual workshop with members of the Cambridge African Network, hosted by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Participants discussed objects and heritage, wrote new labels for objects on display, and recorded audio sharing their thoughts. These labels change our perception of these objects by sharing many stories — they re–present the objects to audiences by better representing communities and cultures. Through these labels and recordings, RePresent asks us to consider the personal in museum spaces – the memories, stories, and emotional connections of people from communities of origin. 

The labels and audio can be viewed and heard online.

Danika Parikh is Research and Engagement Fellow for University of Cambridge Museums