On reflecting on my questions for my questionnaire, I wondered about whether the term “decolonise mean the same for everyone.
A bit of context, my project is to look at widening ways of seeing in fine art / fine art education. Immediately, I thought of the term decolonising the gaze as a focus point of my research question. However, when I’m reflecting on my own experience as a teaching staff and as an art student and PG Cert student, maybe non-Western seems more appropriate.
For my IP Intervention, I wanted to create a resource list for non-European/Anglo-Saxan centric art and cultural institutions. This very non-western focussed project has led me to think about widening ways of seeing in our teaching methods. The development is firmly based on a non-western way of being and seeing. As I believe that Contemporary Art was born out of western art history, the canon and theoretical discourse is also firmly rooted in Western academic, social and cultural discourses.
When I started ARP, somehow subconsciously I conflate the two. Certainly most colonial powers in recent history are Western countries. However, the term “decolonise” is by no means limited to Western countries. A colonising power refers to dominating forces that control and extract a subjugated people. To decolonise means then to detach from its influence. Geography is not a prerequisite. We can see many examples of Eastern powers who dominate and control the peoples in their own country, the PRC regime and their domination over the Uyghurs is a case in point.
So when I say to “decolonise” way of seeing, what do I mean? I meant to acknowledge developments, influences, theories and knowledges that do not stem from the Contemporary Art canon. As Contemporary Art came from the West, its canon is also rooted in Western discourses. So perhaps for the purpose of ARP, I ought to use non-Western to be specific.
I brought this question to my tutor group. I am grateful for the useful comment that not everybody is familiar with the term “decolonise”, especially as some of my participants are students or alumni. A helpful suggestion though, is to be open about this in the questionnaire and to ask them what comes to mind if they are asked about decolonising ways of seeing in the fine art education context. In the end I decided to adopt this approach in order to be more open.