Decolonization in action: Lessons from the Musée d’ethnographie de Genève

Abstract In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the colonial legacies that shape Western cultural institutions. Such public engagement, however, risks falling prey to oversimplification and becoming empty. Museums, in particular, have faced a deep crisis of legitimacy in connection to the growth of the public awareness over past lootings and other cultural misappropriations. If this popular momentum runs ashore in its pars destruens , however, it will lose its potential to inspire profound societal change. Against this backdrop, the present case note offers an in-depth analysis of the experience of the Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG) , which has recently reopened its doors to the public with a new mission of decolonization. This case note investigates how a museum—especially one with a problematic past, such as an ethnographic institution—can critically confront its colonial heritage while keeping the public informed and actively involved in the process.