THE EMPTY MUSEUM
DECOLONIZATION
OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
2033
Please go to The Empty Museum’s website to see the design of the space and the animations.
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OF THR
INTENTIONAL UGLINESS
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The crimes of Western colonialism still affect us today. Years of occupation, exploitation and plunder have left behind ruins and unhealed wounds. Museums are not innocent. By refusing to return stolen artefacts, they take an active part in the crime.
My intention was to explore how museums could be turned into an inclusive spaces that compensates for their colonial past.
The Empty British Museum is a speculative project taking place in 2033. In this future scenario, Western museums internalize the criticism raised against them and decide to compensate for their colonialist past.
The project aims to create an illustration of a museum that has undergone a deep decolonization process. Since the process requires a large financial investment and taking responsibility, it is clear to me that the likelihood of it happening is not high.
However, I hope the project will raise awareness of the injustice and the fact that for many populations museums are threatening places and that they are active accomplices to crime.
The project touches on the deepest questions of identity, otherness, culture and belonging. Perhaps it will accelerate compensation and restitution processes that have already begun, and perhaps more museums will do self-criticism, in pursuit of a better and more just future.
׳׳׳׳This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Animations:
Nitzan Bartov
Photos credit:
Alastair William Halfhide
Alastair William Halfhide This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Animations:
Nitzan Bartov
Photos credit:
Alastair William Halfhide
Alastair William Halfhide This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
This website was done as part of the submission of an MA final thesis project in Graphic Communication Design at the Royal Danish Academy.
Superviser: Nikolaj Knop
This project was created with the support and guidance of BespokeCPH and Designmuseum Danmark, as part of the Sharing Futures initiative.
