Increasing interest in collections of Indigenouscultural material held by museums in terms ofreframing colonial histories through recovering thestories of collections and collectors whileIndigenous peoples are recovering culturalinformation relevant to their own communities, hasled to a flourishing of publications and conferencesas well as various repatriation claims. This overviewof the collection of Australian Aboriginal materialheld in a European museum, the Museum für Völkerkundein Berlin investigates the aims driving the amassingof that material in the first forty years followingestablishment of the Museum in 1873, its subsequentcollection and display policies and its contributionto framing Aboriginal cultural identity. Motivationsof the museum, the collectors and some of the makersare revealed. Strategies of collecting and display bykey museum counterparts in Europe and the UK arecompared and proposals for continued relationshipsbetween the Museum and communities of origin of thematerial of benefit to all parties are canvassed.
Über den Autor
Janice Lally PhD: Studied Fine Arts at ANU and UWA; PhD in
History and Philosophy of Science at University of Melbourne. As
curator, gallery director and arts consultant managed public art
projects and exhibitions in Australia, Germany and Hong Kong.
Currently Program Manager and Curator, Flinders University Art
Museum, Adelaide, South Australia.
Klappentext
Increasing interest in collections of Indigenous
cultural material held by museums in terms of
reframing colonial histories through recovering the
stories of collections and collectors while
Indigenous peoples are recovering cultural
information relevant to their own communities, has
led to a flourishing of publications and conferences
as well as various repatriation claims. This overview
of the collection of Australian Aboriginal material
held in a European museum, the Museum für Völkerkunde
in Berlin investigates the aims driving the amassing
of that material in the first forty years following
establishment of the Museum in 1873, its subsequent
collection and display policies and its contribution
to framing Aboriginal cultural identity. Motivations
of the museum, the collectors and some of the makers
are revealed. Strategies of collecting and display by
key museum counterparts in Europe and the UK are
compared and proposals for continued relationships
between the Museum and communities of origin of the
material of benefit to all parties are canvassed.