The article argues that museums are not doing enough to address political realities, colonial histories, and systemic oppression in their exhibitions and wall texts, contrary to critics who claim visitors feel guilt-tripped or bored by such content. The author cites the Victoria and Albert Museum's exhibition "The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence" as a missed opportunity, noting that it privileged opulence without adequately engaging with the violent histories of colonialism, as pointed out by art historian Archishman Sarker and artist Sutapa Biswas.
This matters because it challenges a growing backlash against politically engaged museum programming, which the author sees as based on unfounded assumptions about visitor attitudes. By drawing on personal family history tied to the British Empire, the author contends that confronting difficult histories enriches rather than diminishes the experience of art, and calls for more rigorous, nuanced engagement rather than retreat.