New forms of cooperation – with representatives of the Kayan/Kayaw (Myanmar)

Indigenous groups have often been repeatedly marginalized by precolonial empires, colonial powers, and postcolonial nation-states. Threatened by poverty and wars, they often sold their cultural goods. How can museums, as keepers of these collections, contribute to the strengthening of such societies today? Together with representatives of indigenous cultural initiatives from the Karenni region in eastern Myanmar, LindenLAB 1 experimented with new forms of cooperation and the sharing of know-how and resources.

Mutual visits, joint project development

A first part of the LAB took place on site in the Karenni region of Myanmar. Here, the project was developed by Dr. Georg Noack together with representatives of indigenous cultural initiatives. The first workshops were held. In the second part, our indigenous partners were guests at the Linden Museum for four weeks in November 2019. Here they had the opportunity to get to know our collections and to familiarize themselves with our approaches to exhibition design, conservation of valuable objects and cultural mediation. They took away many suggestions for their own cultural work, which we want to continue to support in an advisory capacity. The LAB-created exhibition, curated by Olivia Musu and Patricio Doei of the Kayaw Literature and Culture Central Committee and Khun Vincentio Besign and Khun Myo Aung of the Kayan Literature and Culture Central Committee, is part of the permanent exhibition South/Southeast Asia.