DECOLONISING MUSEUMS

THE DUTCH VOC MENTALITY – MIRJAM KOOIMAN
led by VVD Prime Minister Mark
Rutte that was to declare that multiculturalism
had failed, through its
Minister of the Interior Piet Hein
Donner and his 2011 policy document
entitled integration, connection,
citizenship (“Integratie,
binding, burgerschap”). Donner
argued that cultural diversity “had
primarily led to division and at best
to well-meaning mutual disregard
8”. In view of this consensus
between Rutte’s first government
and the PVV that held it in power,
Zijlstra’ minimalist explanation for
cultural cutbacks that “the new
basic infrastructure will no longer
have room for development
institutions in the field of cultural
diversity” was all that was needed
to pull the plug on institutions
focusing on exactly that—such as
the ethnographic museums 9.
From a practical perspective however, it would
appear that it was the VVD’s focus on economic profitability
that informed its selective cultural policy. In
2000, Rotterdam’s ethnographic Wereldmuseum
8. Donner, PH. 2011,
“Integratienota
Integratie, binding,
burgerschap”,
Rijksoverheid.nl,
Ministry of Social
Affairs and Employment,
16 June, p. 1, viewed 15
September 2015.
9. Zijlstra, H. 2011,
“Meer dan kwaliteit: een
nieuwe visie op cultuurbeleid”,
Rijksoverheid.
nl, Ministry of
Education, Culture &
Science, 10 June, p. 32,
viewed 14 September 2015.
10. Revelations in an
independent research
report published in April
of this year include the
fact that the museum’s
collection now plays a
subordinate role only,
no scientific research is
conducted, educational
activities have been
discontinued and serious
damage caused to leading
works by displaying them
in the restaurant. There
have even been claims
sold in order to fund the
museum’s new commercial
Rengers, M. and Kammer
C. 2015, “Vernietigend
“De ondernemer en het
was on the verge of bankruptcy
as a result of major building renovations
and rapidly falling visitor
numbers. Even before the economic
crisis began to become a
that items have been
factor, the then Mayor of Rotterdam,
Ivo Opstelten (VVD), decided to activities.
turn the tide by appointing cultural
entrepreneur Stanley Bremer. He
rapport over chaos
was given free rein to develop an bij verzelfstandigd
Wereldmuseum”, Nrc.
entrepreneurial policy with a view
nl, 15 April, viewed
to making the museum successful
again, but more importantly Rengers, M. and
15 September 2015.
Kammer, C. 2015-2,
independent of subsidy. Alongside
some serious commercial measures
including the introduction of
Wereldmuseum: recon-
a Michelin star restaurant and the
15 September 2015.
hiring out of the museum’s auditoria,
it was not long before the entire
Kammer, C. 2015,
team of curators was dismissed in
the wake of the falling revenues
15 September 2015.
and by 2011, as earnings continued
to suffer, the radical museum director came up with
the idea of selling off part of the collection. Although
it clearly breached every museum’s ethical code, this
controversial move was only prevented by the municipal
council after heated discussions in the media 10.
structie Wereldmuseum”,
Nrc.nl, 16 April, viewed
“Wereldmuseum in grote
financiële problemen”,
Nrc.nl, 14 April, viewed
L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MIRJAM KOOIMAN – 47