Conferentie: Unsettling Heritage and Memory Futures

Datum: 17-19 juni, 2026
Locatie: Universiteit van Amsterdam
Organisation: Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)
Voertaal: Engels

The Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture, onderdeel van de Universiteit van Amsterdam, organiseert tussen 17-19 juni 2026 de conferentie Unsettling Heritage and Memory Futures: Decolonial Trajectories Between Crisis and Possibility. Deze driedaagse conferentie vindt plaats bij de Universiteit van Amsterdam en heeft als doel het voeren van dialoog over dekolonisatie, via individuele papers, panel discussies, en rondetafelgesprekken. Het programma omvat onder andere panels over de teruggave van objecten verzameld uit koloniale context, diasporische herinnering en koloniale musea. Deelname aan de conferentie is gratis. Je kunt je hier aanmelden.

[Tekst gaat verder in het Engels]

The conference departs from the idea that decoloniality is not merely an academic lens but a profound reorientation of knowledge and power. While rooted in twentieth-century South American scholarship, decoloniality now inspires a generation of scholarship and social movements. After years of vibrant scholarship and activism, we stand at a pivotal juncture. This conference brings together scholars, practitioners, artists, and activists to reflect on what decolonial approaches have disrupted, dismantled, and dreamt anew—and to critically assess their strengths, limitations, and futures. As resurgent nationalisms and neocolonial forces challenge gains made in diversifying heritage institutions, democratising memory practices, and centring marginalised voices, how do we sustain decolonial futures that remain precarious? This international conference examines decoloniality as a transformative praxis that reshapes our engagement with heritage, memory, and material culture.

You can find the full program below.