Decolonising Representation and Identity: Museums as political actors in post-conflict Cyprus.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The aim of the proposed PhD is to examine the relationship between museums, nationalism, and identity by takingCyprus as a case for comparative research. It proposes to explore the relation between museums and identity both aslocalised political processes, and as institutional remnants of a divisive colonialism within Cyprus. As such it aims to notonly research their histories and institutional changes, but to also see the museums as spaces of potentiality through adecolonial lens. The overall goal is thereby twofold: 1) to unravel the uses and constructions of conflicting history andidentity within the museums in the North and South comparatively and 2) to research the affordances of museums whenseen from a decolonial lens that does not essentialise the current Cypriot identities as a strict and conflicting binary. ThePhd will intend to generate the above goals and create a dialogical path within the varied museum narratives in the islandthrough the following research questions: What exactly is the past and current role of museums as political actors and asknowledge producers within the binary of identities in the island? And, how can they decolonise their perspectives toengage with a diverse audience through more inclusive narratives of history and archeology that will assist the peacebuilding processes in Cyprus? Through the Cyprus case, the research engages with the larger questions ofdisessentialising identity and inclusive representation practices.