In Legacies of colonialism in museum collections: The (un)making of Indonesian Islam in the Netherlands Mirjam Shatanawi tells the untold story of Indonesian Islam in museums. Often overshadowed by Hindu-Buddhist art, Indonesian Islamic heritage rarely receives the attention it deserves in museum collections and exhibitions. 

This book unravels the historical silences rooted in Dutch colonial rule that have marginalized Indonesian Islamic material culture. Delving into the colonial archives, it traces the journey of Indonesian objects in Dutch museums, exploring their original meanings and their re-appropriation during instances of collecting, classification, interpretation and public display. The analysis focuses on the long-term effects in the present, in particular in relation to the decolonisation of museums.

What are the structural patterns inherited from colonialism that result in silences today? How can repair happen beyond repatriation and re-interpretation of individual objects? Through this lens, the book addresses the enduring impacts of colonialism and offers pathways for the decolonization of museums today.

Author

Mirjam Shatanawi is a postdoctoral researcher at KITLV, where she conducts research on the provenance and makings of the institute’s collection of manuscripts and books from Indonesia. She is also a Senior Lecturer of Heritage Theory at the Reinwardt Academy (Amsterdam University of the Arts).

Discussants

Susie Protschky is Professor of Global Political History at VU University. She is specialised in modern Dutch colonialism, Indonesian history, and the history of photography.

Adieyatna Fajri is a PhD Candidate at NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies and Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen.

Theo Frids Hutabarat is a Lecturer at Parahyangan Catholic University and fellow at NIAS.

Moderator

Marieke Bloembergen is Professor of Heritage and Postcolonial Studies in Indonesian History at the Institute for History and the KITLV. Her research interests concern the political dynamics of cultural knowledge production in colonial and post-colonial Indonesia.

Format, date, time & venue

This seminar is a hybrid event and will be held in the conference room of KITLV, Herta Mohr building, room 1.30, Witte Singel 27 A, Leiden and online via Zoom, on Thursday 15 May from 15.30 – 17.00 PM (CET).

Registration

If you want to join this seminar on location, please register via: kitlv@kitlv.nl

If you wish to join this seminar online, please register here

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Cover Legacies of colonialism in museum collections