Where Do We Come From? Who Are We? Where Are We Going? Ethnographic Museology at the Crossroads of the 21st Century

Abstract

The title of this paper, echoing a Gauguinesque sentiment, aims to trace the evolution of ethnographic museology from its 19th-century origins, through the paradigm shifts of the second half of the 20th century, to the present day—a period marked by significant changes in ethnology and anthropology. The central question is whether, and how, ethnographic museums should adapt to the profound transformations currently reshaping the field. Equally important is how to address the legacy of these institutions, particularly in light of the strong decolonising movements that have become dogma in contemporary anthropology. This concern is relevant even to Polish collections, which are largely non-colonial or colonial in a different sense.