Don't Say "Mummy," Museums Ask

January 30, 2023

Good morning. ☁️ What are they? They're people like you and me who died thousands of years ago and were later turned into museum displays for educational and entertainment purposes. It's easy to forget that basic fact sometimes. Now, some museums are asking us to start referring to them as “mummified persons” or “mummified remains” to remind us that we're looking at actual humans. I ask: Wouldn't it be more respectful to finally remove them from public view?

Also today: Scientists make positive use of facial recognition technology for once, David Carrier changes his mind about Alex Katz, Tim Brinkhof visits Peru's "terrorism museum" amid political upheaval in the country, and Daniel Larkin writes about the social history of human feces! That last one would make a great toilet read, I dare say.

— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor

The Biggest Shitshow Ever, Literally

Oh Shit! retraces the historical arc of feces from ancient Rome to the sewage challenges and potential innovations of the 21st century. | Daniel Larkin

SPONSORED

The Heart’s Knowledge: Science and Empathy in the Art of Dario Robleto

Presented by Northwestern’s Block Museum and McCormick School of Engineering, this new exhibition seeks empathy at the boundaries of life. On view in Evanston, Illinois. Learn more.

IN THE NEWS

The “de Brécy Tondo” was likely made by Raphael, researchers concluded. (courtesy the de Brécy Trust)

Facial recognition technology identifies the “de Brécy Tondo” as an original work by Italian Renaissance master Raphael.

Specialists have reinflated the Trump baby blimp for conservation testing at the Museum of London.

Some museums are ditching the term “mummy” to describe the preserved Ancient Egyptian bodies in their collections.

SPONSORED

Decolonizing Design in Teaching and Practice at Vermont College of Fine Arts

VCFA MFA students, instructors, and alumnx reframe stories and reconnect with identities through graphic design. Learn more.

LATEST REVIEWS

The Single Detail That Changed My Mind About Alex Katz

A little detail in an artwork can reveal that sometimes what is right on the surface can change our understanding of the whole. | David Carrier

Cracking the Code of Creative Growth

How two beloved institutions showcase and support artists working outside of the mainstream art world. | Glen Helfand

Cinematic Letters to a Beloved Indian Author

Letters Unwritten to Naiyer Masud attempts to peer into the late writer Naiyer Masud’s concealed world. | Arun A.K.

Support Hyperallergic's independent journalism

Become a member today to help keep our reporting and criticism free and accessible to all.

MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC

Visiting Peru’s Terrorism Museum on the Eve of a Constitutional Crisis

Peruvian history is a contentious subject, and the authorities in charge of writing its first drafts should not be taken at their word. | Tim Brinkhof

What's Threaded in Vegas, Stays in Vegas

Moving too fast on your commute, looking out of the corner of your eye one second too late, and you might miss HOTTEA’s yarn installations. | Lille Allen

MOST POPULAR

An Afternoon in the Park With Shahzia Sikander’s Golden Monuments

What Do Bostonians Think of the New MLK Monument?

Machu Picchu Indefinitely Closed Amid Political Protests

What Does TikTok’s “Corecore” Have to Do With Dada?

Required Reading