In collaboration with VU Art Science Gallery, Katja Kwastek (professor of contemporary art history and researcher of the Pressing Matter project) and artist Aram Lee (artist in residence in the Pressing Matter project) will discuss art and science in light of colonial heritage.
Dutch museums (still) own thousands of objects from former colonies. In the research project "Pressing Matter Ownership, Value and the Question of Colonial Heritage in Museums," science and art come together.
Artists help scientists understand what it means when objects are removed from their everyday context of use, local environment and climatic conditions. As a result, these scientists learn to empathize more with these objects and reactivate them. This in support of social reconciliation with colonial history and its aftermath, and the process of coping with conflicting claims on these museum objects coming from a variety of stakeholders.
19:30 - 20:00 | New University building | VU Art Science Gallery
