Date de publication:
07 Février 2013
Mots-clefs:
- Éthiopie
- musée
- Afrique de l'est
- Kenya
- Tanzanie
- Ouganda
Publié ici :
07 Février 2013Mis à jour le :
23 Juin 2017Zone géographique:
- Afrique
The Politics of Heritage in Museums
Workshop organized by Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique, Nairobi (IFRA-Nairobi)
The construction of heritage in museums—be they local, community or national institutions—has become a question of paramount importance in Africa in the context of a revival of museum institutions, and more broadly as a result of a tremendous rise in heritage policies. The increasing number of community museums which derive from former colonial museums or are the product of contemporary local, national or international initiatives bears witness to this trend as much as the revitalization of state-led museums which, as government institutions, aim among others things at enhancing nation-building. These different types of museums are indeed directly confronted with the question of the representation of culture, identities and memories, and indirectly to various underlying political challenges. Therefore, the questions that arise are as follows: On which criteria of representativeness is it possible to select artefacts, practices and representations of the social world and nature, that is, items of tangible and intangible heritage that portray a given culture?
Which type or scale of identity should these museums reflect (community, ethnic, regional, national)? How can the museum-making of culture, identities and memories avoid the trap of essentialization and reification, but rather represent embedded identities and changing conceptions of the world and nature? How, finally, can museums institutions obviate being politicized? It is noticeable that community museums, which seem well-equipped to put to the fore the diversity of local cultural and natural heritage—a characteristic that explains why they are strongly supported by international institutions—however find it difficult to put into display crossed heritage and embedded cultures, and portray societies set into modernity. Their politicisation in relation to local political agendas, or at the time of crucial national polling, is a recurring phenomenon. Similarly, governmental museums that aim at building a shared national culture still fragile in most African countries only partially manage to encompass the varied sub-national levels that contribute to making the nation, and often turn a blind eye to contested historical events or versions of history alternative. The question of museum choices and heritage exhibits cannot, therefore, be reduced to sheer technical problems of scenography: it results from political, scientific and ideological projected choices, as well as from negotiations between the different stakeholders involved; it also frequently results from a lack of consideration of the type of communication and reception that museums, as media devices, generate; last, how nature, territories and cultures are represented brings about effects of reality and effects of truth which, related to political and identity issues, need to be explored.
The main objective of this workshop was to bring together researchers from French and East African institutions (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) working on museums and heritage, as well as professionals from museums institutions, to collectively reflect and debate on the topic of “the Politics of Heritage in Museums in Eastern Africa”. It entailed identifying research priorities on specific issues which museums and heritage sites are faced with today, and drafting a joint project proposal in preparation for future calls on heritage and museums.
Content
1. Framework 3
2. Background 3
3. Objectives 4
4. Expected outcomes 4
5. List of participants 4
6. Programme of the workshop 5
7. Proceedings of the workshop 6
8. Contribution to HEREGO’s heritage issues and innovative aspects 13
9. Contribution to ongoing and new scientific synergies 14
10. Ways forward (calls for proposals, etc.) 15
Workshop organized by Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique, Nairobi (IFRA-Nairobi)
With the support of Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) under the Regional Priority, programme ‘Heritage, Resources and Governance’ and French Embassy in Kenya, Nairobi
In partnership with :
- National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi (NMK)
- Centre Français des Etudes Ethiopiennes, Addis Ababa (CFEE)
- Conseil International des Musées Africains, Nairobi (AFRICOM)
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN)
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