“What is our role? Will we be able to work on equal terms?” collaboration and controversies over the renovation of AfricaMuseum (Tervuren)

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ABSTRACT For several decades, the dynamics of the relations between museums and their ‘source communities’ have been changing dramatically. Numerous institutional reconfiguration projects have arisen out of the imperative need to collaborate with experts from the countries of origin of the exhibits or with the corresponding diasporas. The AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, an emblematic monument of Belgium’s colonial history, has reopened its doors in 2018 after a thorough renovation intended to decolonise it. The project was devised by the museum’s team in collaboration with international experts and with a consultative committee for concertation with African associations. The present article retraces some of the key moments of the interactions between museum staff and African diaspora(s) and addresses the difficulties and implications of this kind of collaborative museum reconceptualisation.