Decolonial Feminism and Moving Beyond the Object with Françoise Vergès

For the opening of this series, we are joined by Françoise Vergès, political scientist, writer, activist, and curator, who introduces us to decolonial feminism. Drawing on Françoise’s powerful manifesto “A Decolonial Feminism”, we explore how this framework can help us examine “white” or “civilizing” feminism’s blind spots, and complicity in enslavement, colonisation and racial capitalism. We discuss the importance of – and possible limitations to – an intersectional analysis of oppression and consider the perspectives that might be revealed by a multidimensional approach. Furthermore, by asking who cleans the world around us, Françoise encourages us to reflect on cleaning as essential labour to the functioning of the state, public institutions and infrastructure, and to consider the invisibility of those who do cleaning work – the majority marginalised and racialised women. Finally, we hear about Françoise’s own experience developing a “post museum” on Réunion island and discuss how decolonial feminism might reshape museum design and practice, encouraging us to move beyond objects, facilitate access to collections, think beyond big institutions in capital cities and ensure that different bodies and different ways of being all feel welcome in this public space. “Feminisms in the Museum” is written and produced by Eliza Apperly and Alondra Meier. Sound design and editing by Benjamin Nash, Nora Mihle, Annelien Van Heymbeeck and Andreas König. Artwork by Diana Ejaita. Project curation by Michael Dieminger. Project management by Selina McKay. Our podcast is part of the 99 Questions programme at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information and show notes, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/feminisms-in-the-museum-109860/.