| Abstrakt: |
In this text, Johan Lagae, a professor at Ghent University, explores the study of colonial architecture beyond a nationalist framework. He acknowledges the dominance of Western-based academic centers in producing knowledge on the built environment in formerly colonized territories and the recent shift towards acknowledging positionality and racial biases in architectural history. Lagae emphasizes the importance of engaging with different perspectives and geographies, building long-term relationships with local scholars and artists, and confronting the colonial archive with other sources. The text also discusses the challenges and complexities of studying colonial architecture and urbanism, highlighting the importance of language proficiency and collaboration between researchers from different regions. The author argues for the relevance of the term "colonial" in understanding the architecture and infrastructure of former colonized territories, while also advocating for the broadening of disciplinary frameworks and learning from other historical subdisciplines. The text concludes by discussing the different perspectives and approaches in studying colonial architecture, emphasizing the importance of considering materiality, politics, and urban processes. [Extracted from the article] |
