Transforming Curatorial Practices for the Global Museum: Reflections on the British Museum’s Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the making of the British Museum’s Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World, which widened the geographical, temporal, and material presentation of the museum’s collections, reframing the new display as one of “Islamic material culture” rather than “Islamic art.” Discussed from an insider curatorial perspective, it examines how this reconceived framework made it possible to feature multifaceted narratives about the peoples of the Islamic world, as well as the ideas, technologies, and interactions inspiring their visual culture. Representing a transformative practice open to continual adaptation, this epistemic shift in the narrative could serve as a template for other galleries of world civilisations in global museums today.