aktivitäten

«MUSEUMS OF THE FUTURE»

19 FEBRUARY 2026, UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH, ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM

& BUILDING RAA

Symposium organized by the Swiss Association of Art Historians (VKKS | ASHHA | ASSSA) as part of the event series "RECTO VERSO. Futures" by the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAGW | ASSH)

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the issues and practices involved in decolonializing museums, accompanied by critical reflection in academic discourse and artistic works on the potential and limitations of such endeavors. The systematic examination of one's own work and institution, alongside the process of "unlearning" established conventions and narratives, is complex, costly, and often painful. Thus, it frequently occurs within special exhibitions or artistic collaborations. Based on these critical engagements with museum collections and historical knowledge production, the symposium focuses on the following questions: How can established strategies – such as self-positioning, transparency, cooperation with source communities, shared curatorship, reorganization, or renaming – be integrated into permanent collection exhibitions, digital museum presences, and educational outreach? Do utopian and fictional artistic approaches pave the way for museums of the future? How can museums of the future become places of care and dialogue, remembrance and learning; or is the concept of the museum obsolete and must be reinvented altogether?

The number of participants for the museum visit and the workshops is limited.