“Art Hx: Visual and Medical Legacies of British Colonialism,” an Exploratory Grant in Collaborative Humanities from the Humanities Council, is featured in the latest issue of Discovery: Research at Princeton magazine. The project, led by Anna Arabindan-Kesson (Art & Archaeology; African American Studies), brings together scholars and artists to examine the intersection of colonialism, medicine, and works of historical and contemporary art.
“There are missing links between art history, the histories of medicine, and the histories of colonialism,” said Arabindan-Kesson, in the story published by the Office of the Dean for Research, in collaboration with the Office of Communications. “We wanted to create a project that would bring these concepts together.”
Through the project, scholars explore modern attitudes that are rooted in colonial notions of superiority over non-British people. These attitudes encompass themes such as stereotypes about Black women’s healthcare, distrust of Indigenous medical knowledge, and false information about genetics and racial superiority.
Launched with support from a Humanities Council Magic Grant in 2021, Art Hx is also sponsored by the Center for Health and Wellbeing, the Department of Art & Archaeology, and the Dean for Research Innovation Fund for New Ideas in the Humanities.
