Conceived by former Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow Laura DeNormandie, this Gallery Investigation looked at the way African art was exhibited in Western art museums. Using the Davis Museum's African art gallery as an example, the investigation introduced visitors to the cultural, moral, and political implications of displaying African art. In her presentation, DeNormandie pointed out that many objects now in Western collections were taken from Africa as the spoils of colonial wars and were originally exhibited in museums as anthropological artifacts of exotic and primitive cultures rather than as art. Even today, she argues, they are often shown in Western art museums according to the aesthetic standards and values of modern European art rather than of those of pre-colonial African societies.

An interactive website allowed visitors to participate in discussions about the issues in the project. Please note that some parts of the website are not accessible from off the Wellesley College campus because of copyright restrictions.