Who's afraid of big bad wolf-Colonialism?

Arguably, it all started with a royal carriage. Or to be more precise, with how the inhabitants of the Dutch colonies were depicted on the golden carriage. In the 19th century, commentaries extolled the artistic qualities of the panel.?One hundred years later, the coach had become an example of contested heritage. And as such, it became the focus of a recent exhibition at the Amsterdam Museum.

It has been a century of change, and the field of heritage and the narratives used to tell the epics of the past could not lag behind. Representing citizens of regions subjugated by former colonial powers as savages, or in an inferior condition, today is seen as violent and offensive. This is what the exhibition at the museum tries to show and what gave rise this past weekend to a symposium dedicated to confronting that ferocious wolf.

Under a title that was almost a challenge in itself: "The Future of the Dutch Colonial Past", the Amsterdam Museum opened its doors to one of those historic taboos in the West. For its organizers, it was about a multidisciplinary approach where different, multiple voices could be heard. Their goal was clear and gigantic: to start a national discussion on colonialism. In this case, to explore in-depth new roles for museums in the creation of narratives and representations of the past.

Personally, whenever I have found myself discussing the consequences of colonialism, it used to be in a rather alternative, marginal or student environment. The criticisms could be fierce, but their repercussions rarely crossed the discussion halls.

What's more. I come from a country where colonialism left a lasting mark, where its consequences are still being felt, where despite everything the colonial gaze still prevails. The main cultural institutions not only do not deal with the subject. They run away from it. This is my frame of reference, and this is why I was surprised to find myself in a hall with dozens of other people talking about it. The big bad wolf was inside and had to be confronted.

The co-organizers were none other than the Rijksmuseum, the National Museum of World Cultures, the University of Amsterdam, the Vrije University, the Amsterdam School of Cultural Analysis-ASCA, the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies-NIOD, The Black Archives, and the Amsterdam City Archives. In other words, there was nothing marginal or alternative here. Leading institutions in the country were in charge of the dialogue. Or, could it be said, were taking care of the wound?

During two days of discussions and presentations by activists, curators, academics and artists, what kept me most engaged was precisely the fact these conversations were happening at all. Of course, this does not come out of anything.?In the last two years, some museums have been engaged in finding new and challenging ways to depict the past. It was the case with the Slavery exhibition at the Rijksmuseum; or the links of the Van Loon family to slavery, at the van Loon Museum; or the already mentioned Golden Carriage itself.

The participants themselves were amazed at the progress made so far: only 10 or 15 years ago, a few insisted on this, any kind of dialogue was considered not only controversial but would have been impossible. One can be skeptical and say that it is more posturing than firm decisions. But even assuming there is such an element, how many of the former colonial powers are getting their most representative institutions to open up the discussion??

Belgium and Germany are advancing legislation regarding the repatriation of stolen art. In the UK, the National Trust has taken the initiative to change the narratives of its manor houses and castles to include - whenever the data was unquestionable - their original owners' links to colonialism and slavery. This is happening in the throes of what has been almost a national scandal. But it is a beginning.

Efforts are uneven, but it is a moment that demands extra work. In the field of culture and museums, where many of a nation's core narratives are established, is where the battle is being fought. And what role for the media? That is another symposium.

We cannot change history, but we can certainly make an effort at how we tell the stories of the past and what kind of visual representations provide for a better understanding of the differences. Can narratives heal? I think so. There will always be a big bad wolf on the other side. The issue is where do we stand.

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