Today’s increasingly diverse and complex society is challenging the hegemonic narratives that underpin most museums, as well as the meaning of what is considered heritage and how it should be interpreted and used.
This has led the Museu Marítim de Barcelona to reconsider the narratives it has built throughout its history, and also to rethink how they are communicated.
This challenge is far from simple, but it must be confronted. And yet, where do we begin? What does it mean to decolonise a museum? Should we speak of decolonising or decolonialising ? In what ways does languaging perpetuate colonial logic? How can colonial languaging be identified within cultural narratives?
The list of tools build on a conference at the museum in May 2025.
The publication is divided into four sections:
- In “An approach to the conceptual universe for decolonization”, conceptual contributions from the different presentations are collected that are useful for addressing a process of decolonization of a museum. Thus, it is defined that it can be understood by terms such as decolonization, colonialism, coloniality, decoloniality, colonial diaspora, dispersion of heritage, exoticism, interculturality, reparation, collective trauma, and many others.
- In “Interventions for the decolonization of museum narratives”, several possible actions are collected –mentioned in the conferences– for the decolonization of museums, mainly in the field of management, in the field of exhibitions, and in the field of activities.
- In “Examples of good practices in museums that are working on decolonization”, some museums that were recommended and that are interesting to follow, since they have begun to deconstruct the colonial narrative, are presented.
- Finally, a small “Practical Exercise” is proposed that the authors have designed following the conferences at the MMB and which was born with the intention of self-criticism and proposing new narratives.
