The conversation around colonial pasts has largely remained confined to academia and circles of history writing. In the ReverseForward audio series, we connect historical perspectives with the perspectives of practitioners in culture and the arts to expand the debate and offer alternative entry points in the larger debate around colonialism.
The ReverseForward audio series is a collaboration between the Goethe-Institut, the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne and Berlin-based Cashmere Radio.
1 - Decolonizing the Museum
How are cultural institutions like museums approaching questions on decoloniality? What challenges and responsibilities towards governments and source communities are connected with debates around restitution? Gain insights into how these issues are tackled in post-colonial societies with Latika Gupta (Delhi) in conversation with Nanette Snoep (Cologne, Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum) and Shuddhabrata Sengupta (Delhi, Raqs Media Collective).
2 - Decolonising Games
Games, integral to human life from ancient times, now raise debates on how they encode societal beliefs into rules and narratives. This includes perpetuating imperialist and chauvinist ideologies through stereotypes and victory-driven logics. Avni Sethi (Ahmedabad) discusses addressing power imbalances and bias in games with Dhruv Jani (Ahmedabad, Studio Oleomingus) and Allan Cudicio (Berlin, Twin Drums).
3 - Decoloniality in India and Germany
The term "Decolonial" encompasses ongoing processes of undoing colonization and critiques it as an impractical project for total emancipation. How is the concept of "decoloniality" understood in India and Germany today? Explore this discussion with Amarnath Praful (Gandhinagar), Vera Marušić (Cologne, Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum), and Sarnath Bannerjee (Berlin and Delhi) as they delve into the relationship between decolonial practices in local contexts and the broader frameworks of institutions and nation-states.