By Adam Swennen
Since the life-stories of the objects in our care were so vague when we first started this project, my initial interest went out to provenance research. I was mainly fascinated by the methods used to uncover an object’s story but quickly found out that more than simply filling in gaps, an inquiry into provenance can challenge the colonial legacies embedded in how these objects were collected and curated.
At its core, provenance research reveals the journey of an object—from its creation and the context of its early ownership to the ways it was transferred and displayed. This historical insight is crucial not only for establishing ethical narratives around these items but also for questioning the enduring colonial logics that continue to shape modern museology (Tompkins, 2020). By understanding these trajectories, institutions can confront the practices that have long dictated how collections are assembled and interpreted.
Yet, the task is complex. Without clear records, we are often left piecing together fragmented evidence, and the uncertainties in an object’s past can obscure its true story. Moreover, there is a delicate balance to maintain. Focusing exclusively on the human history of an object risks sidelining its own intrinsic “voice” and the cultural frameworks from which it emerged. Such an approach can inadvertently reinforce the very colonial mindset we aim to dismantle, by privileging external narratives over the object’s inherent agency.
This challenge is compounded by the broader pressures facing museums today. As noted by scholars like Juno Salazar Parreñas (2023), even well-intended efforts to care for and display objects can have unforeseen consequences. Museums must therefore become safe spaces where ideas of care and ethical curation can be explored without the expectation of perfect outcomes. This means accepting that our actions, however informed, are always provisional steps toward a more inclusive and reflexive form of curatorial practice.
Ultimately, engaging in thorough provenance research is not simply a scholarly exercise—it is a necessary step toward decolonizing our cultural institutions. By uncovering the full story behind each object, we empower ourselves to challenge and transform the inherited practices of domination. In doing so, we pave the way for a future in which museum collections not only celebrate diversity but also engage in a critical dialogue about the past and its impact on the present (Brulon Soares & Witcomb, 2022; Ticktin, 2023).
In this ongoing journey, the quest for truth in provenance is both our tool and our responsibility—a way to honor the multifaceted narratives of our shared heritage while actively working against the colonial legacies that have long defined the museum experience.
REFERENCES:
Brulon Soares, B. & Witcomb, A. (2022) “Editorial: Towards Decolonisation”. Museum International 74(3-4), iv-xi.
Parreñas, J.S. (2023) “Experiment and Excavation in the Ethnographic Museum: Care, Cruelty, and Barbara Harrisson”. In W. Modest & C. Augustat (eds.) Spaces of Care – Confronting Colonial Afterlives in European Ethnographic Museums. Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld: 69-76.
Ticktin, M. (2023) ”The Museum as a Space of Radical Imagination: Dismantling and Rebuilding Political Worlds”. In W. Modest & C. Augustat (eds.) Spaces of Care – Confronting Colonial Afterlives in European Ethnographic Museums. Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld: 25-38.
Tompkins, A. (2020) “The History, Purpose and Challenges of Provenance Research”. In A. Tompkins (ed.) Provenance Research Today: Principles, Practice, Problems. Lund Humphries, London, England: 15-24.