Special Edition of the Exchanges Journal
We are working on a special edition of the Institute of Advanced Studies journal ExchangesLink opens in a new window.
Title? We haven't got one yet! The idea is to capture a good range of the exciting work being done at Warwick and in the region, linked to museums. And to inspire new work.
It will combine two types of article:
- Critical reflections on museums as they are now, in the past, or how they might be in the future - with reference to real examples. Think pieces, design studies, case studies, opinion essays, dialogues. These articles lean more towards practice and experience, with the emphasis on exciting and inspirational writing. Images are welcome, within the limits of the journal format, but authors must provide evidence of copyright clearance for images they have not themselves taken/created.
- Peer reviewed articles - exploring academic research and discourse on museums, with the emphasis on rigour, and illustrating how academic disciplines approach museums.
The editorial team have collected together a list of topics for each of these, to give you some ideas (thanks to Raad for leading on this). But you are welcome to propose any topic you think will be of interest.
There will be a separate submission and commissioning process for 1 and 2.
We can provide support to help you to develop your ideas and writing. The IAS Exchanges team are really helpful, and run a very effective publishing process.
The forms for submitting proposals will be available at the start of term.
Topic ideas
Broad themes for Critical Reflections
These can be open-ended prompts for shorter think pieces, opinion essays, or interdisciplinary dialogues:
1. Decolonizing Museums
How can museums address colonial legacies in their collections and narratives?
What does ethical restitution look like in practice?
How can museums address colonial legacies in their collections and narratives?
What does ethical restitution look like in practice?
2. Digital Transformations & Virtual Museums
How has digital curation changed audience engagement?
The ethics of AI and VR in museum interpretation.
3. Museums & Social Justice
Can museums be sites of activism?
Representation and inclusivity in exhibitions (race, gender, disability, class).
4. Museum Ethics & Politics
Who decides what is "worth" preserving?
The role of museums in contested histories (e.g., war, migration, climate change).
5. The Future of Museums Post-Pandemic
How have museums adapted to new financial and social realities?
The rise of hybrid (physical/digital) museum experiences.
6. Teaching With Museums
What are the skills, concepts, and methods that teachers and children need?
How are museums used to deal with challenging issues?
7. Community Engagement & Co-Curation
Participatory museum models: Who speaks for whom?
Grassroots archives vs. institutional authority.
8. Museums & Climate Change
Sustainable museum practices.
Can museums effectively advocate for environmental action?
9. The Business of Museums
Privatization, sponsorship, and ethical funding.
The impact of tourism and "blockbuster" exhibitions.
Specific Topics for Peer-Reviewed Articles
These can be more research-focused, empirical, or theoretical contributions:
Repatriation & Restitution Case Studies
Comparative analysis of successful/unsuccessful restitution claims.
Legal and ethical frameworks for repatriation.
Museum Labor & Precarity
The gig economy in museums (freelancers, unpaid internships).
Unionization and workers’ rights in cultural institutions.
Museums & AI
Algorithmic bias in digital collections.
Chatbots and AI guides: Enhancing or eroding visitor experience?
Museums & Trauma
How should museums handle "difficult heritage" (e.g., Holocaust, slavery)?
The role of affect and emotion in exhibition design.
Alternative Museum Models
Pop-up museums, guerrilla museums, and non-institutional collecting.
The rise of "anti-museums" and decentralized archives.
Museums & Education
Critical pedagogy in museum spaces.
Do school programs reinforce or challenge dominant narratives?
Materiality & Conservation Ethics
When is it ethical not to conserve?
The politics of decay and "ruin value" in museums.
Museums & National Identity
How do national museums shape (or distort) collective memory?
Case studies on museums in post-conflict societies.
Queering the Museum
LGBTQ+ representation in collections and exhibitions.
Can museums challenge heteronormative historical narratives?
Museums & the Senses
Multisensory and disability-inclusive exhibition design.
The role of smell, touch, and sound in visitor experience.
Feminist Museology: Reclaiming Women’s Narratives in Collections and Exhibitions
Critically examining how museums have historically erased, marginalized, or misrepresented women’s stories—both in their collections and exhibition practices—while exploring feminist strategies for intervention.
Key Angles to Explore:
Archival Silences
How have museums contributed to the invisibility of women artists, leaders, and everyday historical actors?
Case studies of efforts to "re-discover" women’s contributions (e.g., corrective exhibitions like Women House or Radical Women: Latin American Art).
Curatorial Activism
Feminist curation as resistance: Does labeling an exhibition "feminist" tokenize or politicize?
Challenges of representing intersectional feminism (race, class, disability) in displays.
The Museum as a Gendered Space
How architecture, security, and programming enforce gendered norms (e.g., museums as historically "male" spaces of knowledge).
The role of women-led museums (e.g., The Women’s Museum networks globally).
Contemporary Debates
Should museums collect protest art from feminist movements (e.g., pussyhats from the 2017 Women’s March)?
Ethical dilemmas: Displaying objects linked to violence against women (e.g., #MeToo-era acquisitions).
Why This Matters for the Issue:
Feminist museology intersects with decolonization, labor precarity (e.g., care work in museums), and institutional power—making it a compelling lens for critical museum studies.