The TRANSMAT | IN2PAST 2025 International Conference, to take place in Portugal from March 12th to 14th, 2025, launched its call for papers, open until April 30th, 2024. The theme for the conference is ‘Decolonizing Museums and Colonial Collections: Towards a Transdisciplinary Agenda and Methods’ and submissions are welcomed on topics such as:

• Colonialism and power dynamics
• Provenance research
• Object, material culture biographies
• Restitution, repatriation, and reparation
• Collections development and care
• Decolonization and reinterpretation
• Exhibitions, and representing hidden and untold stories
• Representation and identity memory and healing
• Cultural appropriation and ownership
• Education and awareness

The conference will delve into the theme of transdisciplinarity as a vital tool and framework for reimagining museums and their colonial collections from an inclusive and decolonial perspective. Globally, there is a growing movement fueled by public demand to decolonize museum institutions. However, practical strategies for decolonizing museums and addressing their colonial collections are often lacking in discussions.

Abstracts/ expressions of interest must be sent via email to 2025conferencetransmat@gmail.com. Check out all the information regarding important dates, the submission and selection processes, and the conference full description and concept note on the project’s website.

This international meeting is a collaborative effort between colleagues from the Institute of Contemporary History – NOVA FCSH and University of Évora/ IN2PAST (Portugal), Queens College, City University of New York (USA), University of São Paulo (Brazil), and Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford (UK), supported by TheMuseumsLab platform.