In common with museums and galleries locally, nationally and internationally we are working to uncover the full history of artworks and objects in Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums’ collection. Where this relates to histories involving or linked to British colonialism, it can sometimes be referred to as ‘decolonising the museum’. This is a long-term process that seeks to recognise the integral role of empire and colonialism in museums – from their creation to the present day. At AAGM we have started to explore what this means for the collections we hold in trust.
What is the wider museums and galleries sector doing?
Museums Galleries Scotland is the national development body for the Scottish museums' sector. The Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums project has made recommendations to the Scottish Government on how Scottish museums and galleries can confront challenging histories. You can read the recommendations here.
Follow the link to read the Museums Association’s statement on decolonisation
What has Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums been doing?
Aberdeen Ships, Empire and Trade
Aberdeen Maritime Museum, opened June 2024
This exhibition explores the connections between ships built and owned in Aberdeen and the British Empire and colonial system. It highlights some of the vessels engaged in transporting people and commodities across the globe. It also considers how empire and colonialism were not remote concepts, instead they were part of the everyday lives of ordinary Aberdonians, present in the food they ate, the drinks they enjoyed and the clothes they wore.
Research into the history and legacy of enslavement in Aberdeen
Published June 2024
As part of our on-going commitment to researching the history and legacy of enslavement in Aberdeen we published data on locations across the city with connections to historic chattel slavery. We also identified and shared details of individuals and Aberdeen-built ships and their connections to the legacy of slavery. The research has been published as open data to support communities and individuals to make their own responses.
Review and relaunch of the AAGM Collections Development Policy
Published November 2023
As part of our commitment to increasing representation and diversity in the collections we will spend the next 5 years prioritising the acquisition of objects across the collections that fairly and equitably reflect the society we live in. We will also when possible seek to redress historical imbalance and omissions within the existing collections.
View of Aberdeen
Aberdeen Art Gallery, opened June 2023
This exhibition aims to bring new and diverse voices to the interpretation of and story-telling around objects in the museum and gallery collections. Many of the artists whose work is displayed have shared their views of Aberdeen in the exhibition. Through open days and community consultation we have gathered a range of views inspired by the objects displayed. View of Aberdeen is also an on-going collecting project and we invite everyone to share their views for future inclusion in the exhibition.
The Written Record: 50 Treasures from Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives
Published 25 November 2022
This book tells the story of fifty documents – spanning from 1179 to the present day – chosen from the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives collections. One story focuses on the life and work of Aberdeen medic and Caribbean plantation owner, Dr John Brown. It highlights how the written record may hold more compelling evidence of the many connections between the transatlantic slave trade and the North East.
Re-framing the Collection
Aberdeen Art Gallery, 15 October 2022–29 January 2023
This exhibition shared our approach to tackling offensive or outdated language in artwork titles and our efforts to bring new and varied voices into the interpretation and curation of the collection. As part of this exhibition we published a renaming statement.
You can find details of artworks that have been renamed to date below.
Local Heritage Symposium: That Belongs in a Museum!
Aberdeen Art Gallery, 24 September 2022
This event explored how artefacts end up in museums, who puts them there and why – and what it all means once they are part of a collection. Speakers and members of the public discussed the theme of improving representation of Aberdeen’s residents in the collection. Through consultation and collaboration we are committed to ensuring as many people as possible see their lives and experiences represented in the collections.
Installation of Powis Gateway plaque
September 2022
We worked with Dr Richard Anderson at the University of Aberdeen, to identify Aberdeen’s connections to transatlantic chattel slavery. A direct impact has been the installation of a plaque on the Powis Gateway in Old Aberdeen. The Gateway was built using wealth from plantations and compensation paid to the Leslie family by the British government of more than £7,000 (in excess of £600,000 today) for the loss of their enslaved ‘property’, while the formerly enslaved received no reparations for their years of unpaid labour and suffering. For details on the plaque follow: Plaque installed to mark the legacy of slavery at the Powis Gateway | News | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk)
Micro-commissions programme
Launched 2020, and on-going
The programme aims to increase representation and diversity in the art collections through the provision of small scale, rapid commissioning opportunities targeted at individuals not currently in receipt of academic art training and education. To date we have supported the development of 16 new artworks. These explore the lived experience of Aberdeen of the participating creative practitioners.
Aberdeen-built Ships
On-going Aberdeen-built Ships is a database of over 3,000 ships built in Aberdeen, researched by volunteers over nearly 20 years. We are identifying ships with links to slavery, empire and colonial history, and where women played active roles.
For further information about these projects and to get involved please contact AAGMcurators@aberdeencity.gov.uk.
