Long known for its typological arrangement and dense interpretive labels, the Pitt Rivers Museum has become a key site for interrogating how historical modes of classification and description perpetuate colonial frameworks. Labelling Matters responds to this legacy by foregrounding the power of words: how labels shape knowledge, reinforce hierarchies, and influence visitors’ understandings of cultures and histories.
Central to this work is the rethinking of interpretation as an ethical and collaborative practice. The project moves beyond surface-level edits to address structural questions about voice, authorship, and accountability. It asks who has the authority to interpret objects, whose perspectives have been marginalised, and how museums can responsibly acknowledge histories of violence, extraction, and misrepresentation.
The talk will be held by Research Curator Marenka Thompson-Odlum at Pitt Rivers Museum.
Live stream
The talk was streamed live. Watch recording: