THE METABOLIC MUSEUM

The Metabolic Museum, Clémentine Deliss, 2020

In The Metabolic Museum (2020), Clémentine Deliss explores the future role of anthropological museums in a postcolonial context. As institutions shaped by imperialism, these museums have long struggled to justify collections acquired through colonial appropriation and theft. Rather than attempting to resolve these tensions, Clémentine offers a provocative reimagining of their purpose.

Blending autobiographically informed fiction with critical analysis, Clémentine draws from her experiences as director of the Frankfurt Weltkulturen Museum to propose the concept of the Metabolic Museum—an interventionist laboratory that reactivates anthropological collections. Through reflections on her curatorial work, alongside discussions of filmmakers, artists, and writers, she envisions a model that moves beyond static exhibition spaces to foster critical engagement, artistic experimentation, and new forms of knowledge production. By rethinking the traditional role of museums, Clémentine advocates for a space that not only acknowledges its colonial past but actively transforms its collections into sites of creative and intellectual exchange. The Metabolic Museum challenges institutions to evolve beyond their origins, offering a vision for a museum that is dynamic, self-critical, and open to continuous reinterpretation in a rapidly changing cultural landscape.

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