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Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how UK museums, such as the Pitt Rivers Museum, portrayed displacement during the European refugee crisis. Analyzing ethnographic gaze and colonial legacies within the museum,it discusses the ethical dimensions of knowledge transmission in ethnographic museums regarding refugees.

Paper long abstract:

In the wake of the refugee 'crisis' in Europe from 2013 onwards, discussions surrounding asylum, migration, and displacement gained widespread attention. Museums actively participated in this discourse, delving into narratives that explored the motivations behind the Mediterranean crossings while also presenting a sympathetic image of the refugee to the public. However, despite their efforts to foster understanding, the refugee, asylum seeker, and the displaced person were consistently framed as the 'other'—perpetual outsiders in a state of crisis, resembling Agamben's concept of homo sacer. This representation, though more sympathetic than other public discourses, tended to be one-dimensional, failing to capture the complexity of the refugee experience.

This paper scrutinizes the approaches taken by UK museums, particularly the Pitt Rivers Museum, in engaging with displacement. It examines how the 'ethnographic gaze' persisted in representations of refugees, even when the intent was to encourage a more compassionate dialogue. The paper draws connections between this gaze and the colonial past of ethnographic museums, emphasizing the legacy of othering in such institutions. Additionally, it explores the museum's efforts to move beyond these limitations, spotlighting initiatives like the MultakaOxford project. The strengths and weaknesses of engaging with asylum seekers within the colonial space of the museum are also discussed. This paper ultimately aims to question the ethics of knowledge transmission (or lack thereof) in ethnographic museums, examining the enduring remnants of the othering gaze within such spaces in relation to the refugee.