Twenty Years of a World Culture Museum: Between Wonder,Discomfort,and Repair

Abstract

This essay reflects critically on the 25-year journey of the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden. Originally envisioned as a radical, dialogical, and experimental institution, the museum has evolved under shifting political agendas and institutional leadership. The text explores tensions between its founding ideals and current practices, focusing on the lack of sustained engagement with collections, underrepresentation of descendant communities, and internal structural inequalities. Drawing on theoretical insights by Jette Sandahl and others, the essay interrogates how ethnographic museums risk reproducing colonial dynamics even while claiming inclusivity. Ultimately, it calls for grounded, riskembracing, and justice-oriented museological practices, advocating for a future where the museum dares to listen, transform, and even step aside.

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References

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