A Place for Oil: memory of oil and place in museums across the world

Dr Leyla Sayfutdinova’s research is concerned with the social and cultural legacies of the oil industry and the future of the localities where oil has been produced. Drawing on her research on the memorialization of the oil and gas industry in Baku, Azerbaijan, Dr Leyla Sayfutdinova organized a five-day workshop “A Place for Oil: memory of oil and place in museums across the world.” The workshop, which was hosted by the Centre for Energy Ethics (CEE), brought together curators of oil museums and leading scholars researching oil industry heritage in different parts of the world.  Informed by the urgent need to think about the future of oil-producing localities in the context of climate change and transitions to renewable energy sources, the workshop initiated a conversation about the role and importance of industrial heritage for the reconciliation of different visions of the global impact of oil industry. 

The workshop spanned localities with diverse historical experiences of oil production, including onshore and offshore, industry pioneers and current producers, places where the oil industry has become a part of local culture and others where populations have remained disengaged from it. The workshop generated great interest from museum curators, scholars as well as industry professionals, and people interested in oil and heritage. This is a testimony to the heritage potential of the oil industry, a matter that should be carefully considered in the energy transitions. Drawing on this success, a number of follow-up projects is now planned,  including a virtual exhibition, publications, and potentially a second workshop.

The workshop is part of Leyla’s BAKOIL project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 897155. The workshop also received funding by the Scottish Funding Council through the CEE.