Drawing by Jeanne Coppens

What does the aim of ‘decolonising an institution’ mean in practical terms? Jeanne Coppens and Masa Nazzal present five moments of 'failed decolonisation' drawn from their experiences as cultural workers and grassroots organisers – from the attempted rethinking of Belgium’s Africa Museum to a performative dialogue between curators in Croatia. While the question of decolonising cultural institutions has been central to their work for years, the extremity of contemporary politics has led to a sense of generalised fatigue on the topic. In response, they humorously develop a ‘taxonomy of failed decolonisations,’ which they bring into conversation with their upcoming publication Updates from the Borders. Through this lens, Coppens and Nazzal begin to reconsider cultural institutions from an abolitionist perspective, interrogating how borders and national identities are produced within these spaces. They imagine what comes after institutions’ failed attempts at decolonisation.

Coppens and Nazzal met in a tumultuous classroom during the early days of their anthropology degree at the University of Edinburgh. They’ve been conversing and collaborating ever since. Denis Maksimov will moderate their conversation. 

Jeanne Coppens lives, studies and works in Brussels. She is currently writing a sound essay on grief and cities whilst completing a research project on lawless citizenship-withdrawals of Belgian children born to stateless Palestinian parents. To earn a living, she gives museum tours to kids and adults. She collects queer and militant sounds on her monthly radio show Rubbing Salt with Man Carson. 

Masa Nazzal is an artist and researcher based in London. Her work focuses on border violence along the EU’s Balkan borders, where she documents personal testimonies of border violence committed by the EU with grassroots organisations. Her research uses creative mediums like writing, sound, and embroidery to investigate how state violence disrupts and reshapes people's lives. 

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