Asian Museologies (Specialism)

Module code: MU7036

This module examines the historical development and contemporary landscapes of museums in Asia, considering how museums are shaped by diverse social, cultural, political, economic, legal, and technological contexts. Drawing on key scholarship, including The Museum in Asia, you will explore museums as sites of cultural representation, knowledge production, heritage-making, and public engagement.

The module critically examines the relationship between Asian museologies and dominant Eurocentric approaches to collecting, classification, conservation, display, and interpretation. Through a range of Asian case studies, you will engage with debates concerning colonialism, nationalism, cultural identity, ownership, provenance, ethical collecting, restitution, community collaboration, representation, and stewardship. Lectures and seminars introduce key concepts and scholarship, while workshops and fieldwork enable you to apply these ideas to museums, exhibitions, collections, and curatorial practices. A field trip to a UK museum with significant Asian collections will provide you an opportunity to critically examine how Asian objects and cultures are represented within institutional settings outside Asia.

You will use exhibition critique to develop alternative curatorial approaches that respond to ethical, cultural, and regional considerations. The module therefore encourages you to reflect critically on the applicability and limitations of established museum theories and practices, while exploring more situated, collaborative, and culturally responsive approaches to museology in Asian contexts.