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August 11, 2023

Museums and ChillMuseums and Chill – The Role of Museums in Decolonisation

Museums and Chill is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcast!

Welcome to another Museums and Chill episode, in this episode, we’re diving into the profound theme of decolonisation and its transformative impact on museums, culture, and society. Our guests today are Gerty Dambury and Hortense Belhôte.

In this riveting conversation, we’re honored to have two exceptional guests who have worked and created projects to foster understanding, dialogue, and change in the realm of museums and cultural representation: Gerty Dambury and Hortense Belhôte.

Our guests take us on a journey to explore the multifaceted landscape of decolonisation within the museum context. Together, we dive into topics like:

  • Reclaiming Narratives: How does the process of decolonisation help reclaim narratives that have been silenced or distorted throughout history?
  • Redefining Curation: How can curators rethink exhibition practices to dismantle colonial frameworks and create spaces that are welcoming to diverse perspectives?
  • Museum as Forum: Our guests discuss how museums can evolve into forums for open dialogue and critical engagement. By acknowledging historical injustices and fostering conversations, museums can become platforms for healing and growth.

Tune in to this episode of Museums and Chill as we engage in an eye-opening dialogue with Gerty Dambury and Hortense Belhôte. Their perspectives on decolonisation, museums, and culture inspire us to question and reimagine the role of cultural institutions in shaping a more just and equitable world.

This episode’s host

Laetitia Conort, Digital Communications Coordinator at the International Council of Museums. Before joining ICOM, Laetitia worked in the field of contemporary creation. After a master’s degree in museology at the Ecole du Louvre and a master’s degree in cultural project management at the Institut d’Etudes Européennes (Paris 8), her background is in communication and coordination of projects related to culture and art.

This Episode’s Guests

Gerty Dambury: Caribbean author, was born in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe). She has published poetry as well as plays. She has studied African-American literature and theatre: her essay on the history of the first theatre opened by blacks in New York in 1821, William Alexander Brown’s Dream, won the 2015 Carbet Prize for Literature and the Tout-Monde.

Hortense Belhôte: Actress, author and art historian She is the creator of Merci de ne pas Toucher, an Arte web series directed by Cécilia de Arce, which deciphers the masterpieces of classical European art.

Disclaimer

All opinions expressed by the podcast’s guests are so current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of The International Council Of Museums. The podcast’s guests opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither ICOM nor its affiliates warrant its complete accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.