In June, a group of Future Rural Africa researchers visited the Global Heritage Lab in Bonn. The Global Heritage Lab is a research hub and laboratory for critical reflections on museums and heritage. The Future Rural Africa members met with Jun.-Prof. Dr. Julia Binter from the University of Bonn, Argelander Professor for Critical Museum and Heritage Studies, who guided the delegation through the current exhibition.
At the moment, the Global Heritage Lab shows the exhibition Dressing Resistance. Fashion and the Heritage of Mission. It explores how Christian missionisation has influenced fashion in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean – and how fashion designers and artists deal with this legacy today.
The visit of the exhibition and the discussions with Professor Binter offered valuable insights into the Lab’s approach to decolonizing heritage and fostering multi-vocal perspectives. Discussions during the visit were especially timely as our centre is planning its own exhibition project in cooperation with the Futurium House of Futures Berlin. Pending a successful review for a third funding phase of the Collaborative Research Centre Future Rural Africa, the exhibition project is scheduled to begin in 2026.
We thank the team at the Global Heritage Lab and especially Professor Binter for the warm welcome and the stimulating exchange.
