Imagine: The Future of Human Remains from Colonial Contexts

L. de Rooy; Anne Marie Woerlee; Paul Wolff Mitchell; Paul Bomers

Imagine: The Future of Human Remains from Colonial Contexts

L. de Rooy (Photographer)
, Anne Marie Woerlee (Developer)
, Paul Wolff Mitchell (Editor)
, Paul Bomers (Designer)

Research output: Web publication or non-textual form › Exhibition › Professional

Abstract

The preservation and exhibition of human remains in museums is a painful open wound for many descendant communities, especially those from former colonies. Any museum that stewards such human remains, like Museum Vrolik, must respond to its racist and colonial inheritance, including by researching the provenance of the remains and sharing the findings. The result can be seen in the exhibition: ‘Imagine – the future of human remains of colonial contexts in Museum Vrolik.’

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Mar 2026

Keywords

Human remains
exhibition
race
colonial collections
museum Vrolik
restitution

Cite this

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N2 - The preservation and exhibition of human remains in museums is a painful open wound for many descendant communities, especially those from former colonies. Any museum that stewards such human remains, like Museum Vrolik, must respond to its racist and colonial inheritance, including by researching the provenance of the remains and sharing the findings. The result can be seen in the exhibition: ‘Imagine – the future of human remains of colonial contexts in Museum Vrolik.’

AB - The preservation and exhibition of human remains in museums is a painful open wound for many descendant communities, especially those from former colonies. Any museum that stewards such human remains, like Museum Vrolik, must respond to its racist and colonial inheritance, including by researching the provenance of the remains and sharing the findings. The result can be seen in the exhibition: ‘Imagine – the future of human remains of colonial contexts in Museum Vrolik.’

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KW - restitution

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Imagine: The Future of Human Remains from Colonial Contexts

Abstract

Keywords

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Cite this