"Colonial Traces - Collections in Context"
An exhibition in the ETH main building showing connections between science and colonialism. Opening on 30 August 2024.
Provenance research on our cultural mile: From 30 August 2024 to 13 July 2025, a new exhibition entitled "Colonial Traces - Collections in Context" will be held in the extract room of the ETH Library.
Colonial heritage
ETH Zurich's natural history collections contain tens of thousands of objects from former overseas colonies - a rich variety of rocks and minerals, insects, animal and plant specimens. In the worldwide discussion about colonial art and cult artefacts, such objects usually play a subordinate role. However, the new exhibition at the ETH Library places them centre stage, questions their past and addresses possible connections between natural science and colonialism.
Searching for traces in the ETH collections
Towards the end of the 19th century, scientific research in the colonies became increasingly important. As a university with an international reputation, ETH Zurich also sent experts overseas to study flora and fauna, topography and mineral resources. Numerous objects thus found their way into ETH Zurich's natural history collections. The new extract exhibition embarks on a search for traces.
Curated by Dr Monique Ligtenberg
The exhibition "Colonial Traces - Collections in Context" in the ETH Zurich main building is open daily from 30 August 2024 to 13 July 2025 from 10.00 to 17.00. The exhibition will be officially opened on 29 August 2024 at 17.00.
Further information on events related to the exhibition in extract will follow.
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extract – big topics in a small space
extract brings you a compact exploration of major topics relating to the interplay between society and the research conducted at ETH Zurich. The exhibitions and events programme provide a showcase of the different fields of research and plenty of food for thought. This enables you to experience the Collections and Archives in a curated, concentrated form, as a carefully prepared distillation – in short, an extract.