Manuel Borja-Villel Questions Decolonization Potential of Venice Biennale's 'Foreigners Everywhere'

Manuel Borja-Villel examines whether the 60th Venice Biennale, titled 'Foreigners Everywhere,' can genuinely decolonize a major exhibition. He notes that colonialism and modernity have been intertwined since their beginnings, shaping perceptions and marginalizing non-European knowledge systems. Institutions like the British Museum, Louvre, and Pergamon Museum hold objects acquired through war spoils. The Humboldt Forum in Berlin now displays provenance details, including Nazi Party connections of some scholars, yet lacks diverse voices. Restitution involves more than returning objects; it requires altering frameworks and supporting colonized communities in developing their own cultural ecosystems. Aníbal Quijano's concept of 'coloniality of power' challenges the idea that decolonization only concerns former colonies, emphasizing that European history is inseparable from colonial histories. Without allowing marginalized groups to establish their own reference points, decolonization efforts risk remaining superficial gestures.