Stories from the museum—about our projects, our networks, and our experiences—a look behind the scenes of museum work!
How did a Manumea from Samoa end up in the collection of a museum in Edinburgh, what journey did it take – and how can researchers find out today whether the bird is already extinct? Sarah Gillett, an artist from London, has reconstructed this story and told it in a film collage.
A river is more than just a river: in Samoa, the Vaisigano tells a story of nature, human actions and the traces we leave behind. This illustrated story shows how citizen science is researching its state of health.
The Samoan ie toga is more than just an ordinary mat, or Matte as it is sometimes called. It is a product of skill, love, talent and dedication, and is highly regarded in Samoan culture. However, the world of museums can be very limited when it comes to understanding and embracing the full range of their significance and functions. In this illustrated story, we explore the layers of meaning and the impact of objects when their description is reduced to standardised terminology.
How could we organise a workshop on the museum’s collections if travel is not permitted? With the ‘Measina Show & Tell’ series, we have found an exciting way to connect with our Samoan colleagues. This has enabled us – unlike with an in-person visit – to organise several sessions, each focusing on a different part of the Übersee-Museum’s Samoan collection, whilst building on the experiences of the previous one. Our project partners from the Centre for Samoan Studies at the National University of Samoa invited experts on the various topics and artefacts to discuss these treasures with us. Take a look at the photos from our sessions.
Stacey Kokaua and her brother Hamish Kokaua created an artwork that Stacey performed as part of our “Weaving A Narrative” workshop in October 2023. In this piece she describes their experience. In the artwork she travels through the online collection of digitalpasifik.org, connecting personal relations and stories.
Sean Joseph Choo is one of the artists who took part in our ‘Weaving A Narrative’ workshop and created a piece of art – also published on this platform – based on the collections on the digitalpasifik platform.
Three artistic works from the Pacific region combine film, archival footage, music, poetry, and traditional crafts to create compelling narratives about identity, ancestry, family, culture, and the close bond between people, land, and the ocean.
Patrick S. Thomsen tells us about fa'afafine of Samoa as an important part of Samoan social life and culture. In his article, he describes their role as a third gender, their significance for families and communities, and the challenges they face in balancing cultural recognition, social expectations and discrimination.
The Übersee-Museum Bremen, in collaboration with the National University of Samoa, has launched a citizen science project aimed at strengthening the relationship between Samoans and their rivers and freshwater systems through improved data collection. The Vaisigano river system covers more than a thousand square kilometres of the island of Samoa. On the Pacific islands, freshwater ecosystems continue to face a variety of risks, ranging from climate change and environmental pollution to over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture.