On 8 and 9 October, Musée L hosted an international symposium dedicated to the challenges of decolonising university collections. Provenance, colonial legacies and institutional positioning: these issues raise fundamental questions about the role of university museums and, more broadly, scientific and academic practices themselves.
Over two days, speakers and participants from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines brought their perspectives together across three thematic sessions: the restitution of knowledge and institutional positioning in relation to colonial legacies; the sensitive issue of ancestral remains and human remains held in collections; and contemporary museographic challenges. A participatory workshop also provided an opportunity to collectively examine the museography and museum practices of Musée L, offering a concrete way to embed these discussions within the institution’s own collections.
These discussions highlighted how a polyvocal approach, grounded in critical research and collaboration with the communities concerned, is essential to bringing about lasting institutional change. They also demonstrated that these issues resonate far beyond universities and museums.
We would like to extend our warmest thanks to all the speakers and participants for the quality and richness of the discussions, as well as to our partners and supporters for their valuable contributions: INCAL, FIAL, CEMA, FNRS, ICOM Wallonie-Bruxelles and Centre Placet.