Keeping difficulty visible: why contested monuments should spark dialogue, not consensus

This knowledge transfer conversation features Olga Zabalueva, Associate Professor in Museology at Umea University with studies in Moscow and a master's degree from Lund, in dialogue with Oana Nasui, a cultural researcher. Their discussion explores how museum approaches to difficult heritage can inform strategies for contested monuments in public spaces, with particular focus on memory frameworks and museum activism. Conversation with Olga Zabalueva introduces three modes of memory work: antagonistic memory operates on "us versus them" divisions, cosmopolitan memory focuses on victims with empathy but often fails to connect past atrocities to present crises, and agonistic memory encourages productive disagreement rather than consensus. The discussion addresses museum activism and institutional transparency—museums were never truly neutral, they conveyed state narratives while claiming objectivity. Oana raises questions about boundaries: how many narratives should be included, where does pluralism stop? The conversation explores why some contested monuments should be removed while others should stay visible with added context to spark dialogue. Grassroots commemoration initiatives like Stolpersteine contrast with top-down commissioning processes, revealing different power dynamics in memory work. Olga emphasizes that museums should leave visitors with more questions than answers, fostering critical thinking about whose stories get told and why certain histories are commemorated. Oana reflects on the challenge of balancing multiple perspectives while acknowledging that individuals themselves may hold conflicting principles. The goal is keeping difficulty visible in public space rather than achieving clean consensus. Chapters 0:00 Introduction: Olga Zabalueva and difficult heritage in museums 3:09 Three modes of memory: antagonistic, cosmopolitan, and agonistic 9:00 Cosmopolitan memory and the "never again" framework 12:44 Agonistic memory: productive disagreement over consensus 16:04 Museum activism and the myth of neutrality 17:21 The Museum of Movements case: what about neo-Nazi movements? 20:22 Why museums must be transparent about their values 23:23 Value-based policies and temporary exhibitions 25:27 Leaving visitors with questions, not answers 27:06 Cancel culture and the Nordic Insights project 28:06 The Edward Colston statue: from harbor to museum 31:23 Post-Soviet monument removal 32:26 Some monuments should fall, some should stay 33:01 Keeping difficulty visible in public space 35:16 The "Listen" monument in Umeå and contestation 39:16 Commissioning processes: top-down versus grassroots 41:45 Stolpersteine and The Last Address projects 44:32 Recontextualizing existing monuments 46:32 Louis de Geer and Sweden's colonial involvement 47:00 Final thoughts: critical heritage literacy Knowledge transfer discussion, within the project ”Nordic Insights: addressing cancel culture in public spaces through artistic dialogue and cultural innovation”. More about the project here https://formareculturala.ro/nordic-in... The “Nordic Insights: addressing cancel culture in public spaces through artistic dialogue and cultural innovation” project is implemented by the Formare Culturala platform from Romania. It is funded by the Nordic Culture Fund through the Globus Opstart+ program.