CDCD – Contested Desires: Constructive Dialogues
Europe’s artistic heritage is partly made up of artefacts from former colonies by means of war, plunder and misappropriation. Some collections have been built with the profits of colonialism, and increasingly to the public exploitation of this heritage for politically populist and nationalist discourse. With pressure from the grassroots pushing for a more democratic and egalitarian society, we have seen a strong public debate around issues related to the way in which our histories are edited and our heritage is presented, demands that are still valid today. From the removal of historic statues and proposals for new memorials, to demands for educational reform, the repatriation of looted artefacts and reparations; We are questioning the connection between past and present, questioning how national identities are forged and how systems and structures of oppression are upheld.