INDIGENOUS ARTS IN MUSEUMS AND OTHER ART INSTITUTIONS: RESEARCHING, COLLECTING, CURATING AND GOVERNANCE
The emergence of Americanism coincides with the establishment of a series of scientific museums in the second half of 19th century and with the collection of millions of artefacts from the Indigenous nations of the Americas. The theoretical and methodological paradigms that have guided the formation and study of these collections over the last 150 years have, for the most part, become obsolete; the collections, however, have not. Since the 1970s, the broadening, deepening and renewal of questions regarding the meanings and the significance of these collections have transformed museological paradigms, culminating more recently in the creation of numerous museums by the Indigenous nations themselves. This symposium invites contributions that explore new — Indigenous, non-Indigenous and hybrid|collaborative — ways of researching, collecting, curating and exhibiting Amerindian arts. We are interested in discussing (1) the specific modes of governance within Indigenous museums and their implications for art|material culture interpretation and intercultural dialogue, (2) the direct participation of Amerindian researchers in curatorial projects in non-Indigenous museums and vice versa, and (3) the presence of Amerindian artists in Biennales, art fairs, commercial galleries and other art institutions in the Americas and elsewhere.
