Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi
AbstractThis article specifically concerns itself with Museum of Malawi as an institution of public culture. Particularly it explores how Museum of Malawi collected, exhibited and interpreted its heritage in its displays. Drawn on a combination of historical modes of inquiry that include qualitative...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2022.2160577 |
| _version_ | 1797423555485368320 |
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| author | Mwayi Lusaka |
| author_facet | Mwayi Lusaka |
| author_sort | Mwayi Lusaka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractThis article specifically concerns itself with Museum of Malawi as an institution of public culture. Particularly it explores how Museum of Malawi collected, exhibited and interpreted its heritage in its displays. Drawn on a combination of historical modes of inquiry that include qualitative interviews, documentary sources and exhibition analysis the article argues that it is largely through ethnographic collections that the Museum of Malawi constructed and continues to construct the identity of the nation or community more than anything else. Its ethnographic collections have become a medium to visualize the nation. However, these ethnographic displays are trapped in coloniality despite being in a post-colonial moment. The article provides a critical analysis of history of Museum of Malawi and its representations as an original contribution to the fields of museums and heritage. Moreover, the article is appropriately situated within the context of post-colonial critiques and decolonial debates of the role of museums and museum collections in post-colonial societies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:49:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-508789c370bb4c12ab60737916954e12 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2331-1983 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:49:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-508789c370bb4c12ab60737916954e122023-12-03T02:14:20ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Arts & Humanities2331-19832023-12-0110110.1080/23311983.2022.2160577Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of MalawiMwayi Lusaka0Department of History and Heritage Studies, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, MalawiAbstractThis article specifically concerns itself with Museum of Malawi as an institution of public culture. Particularly it explores how Museum of Malawi collected, exhibited and interpreted its heritage in its displays. Drawn on a combination of historical modes of inquiry that include qualitative interviews, documentary sources and exhibition analysis the article argues that it is largely through ethnographic collections that the Museum of Malawi constructed and continues to construct the identity of the nation or community more than anything else. Its ethnographic collections have become a medium to visualize the nation. However, these ethnographic displays are trapped in coloniality despite being in a post-colonial moment. The article provides a critical analysis of history of Museum of Malawi and its representations as an original contribution to the fields of museums and heritage. Moreover, the article is appropriately situated within the context of post-colonial critiques and decolonial debates of the role of museums and museum collections in post-colonial societies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2022.2160577MuseumMuseum of Malawicollectionsrepresentationcolonialismdecolonisation |
| spellingShingle | Mwayi Lusaka Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi Cogent Arts & Humanities Museum Museum of Malawi collections representation colonialism decolonisation |
| title | Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi |
| title_full | Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi |
| title_short | Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi |
| title_sort | curating the nation collections ethnographic representations and heritage production at museum of malawi |
| topic | Museum Museum of Malawi collections representation colonialism decolonisation |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2022.2160577 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mwayilusaka curatingthenationcollectionsethnographicrepresentationsandheritageproductionatmuseumofmalawi |