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TheMuseumsLab Fellows setting African and European museums in motion

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TheMuseumsLab 2023 - Public Event im Sauriersaal
Press release,

This year's public event organised by TheMuseumsLab at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin focused on creating new spaces for international collaboration between museum staff, artistic approaches to dealing with colonial pasts and jointly shaping the future of museums. The evening offered a variety of opportunities for intensive dialogue between African and European museum experts, political decision-makers and an interested public. 

 The evening featured distinguished speakers  and discussions, including greetings from Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture and the Media, Katja Keul, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, and Gina Blay, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana.

Claudia Roth: ‘Art and culture are part of our identity. When we share them with each other, we also share a piece of ourselves. That's why projects like TheMuseumsLab are so important: they ensure that we engage in an exchange of ideas and experiences so that we understand each other better. The MuseumsLab has been bringing European and African museums together for three years now - it stands for a renewal of cultural-political cooperation between Europe and Africa.’

Katja Keul: ‘“I am pleased that another cohort of young museum makers is taking part in our MuseumsLab. Deepening cultural cooperation with Africa is a focus of our cultural and societal diplomacy and also of my own work at the Federal Foreign Office. With each year’s cohort since 2021, the ties between our two continents in the museum sector have grown. I hope that there will be many more to follow.’ 

Ghana, which will be a partner country of the programme in 2024, is an important partner of the project with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB). 

Gina Blay: ‘As the Ambassador of Ghana, I am proud to join TheMuseumslab’s event, where African and European museum professionals come together to share insights and work towards a more inclusive and equitable future. By prioritising diverse narratives, embracing collaboration, and addressing historical injustices, museums can become spaces of dialogue and understanding. Ghana remains committed to supporting these efforts and celebrating the richness of our shared cultural heritage.’ 

Artistic performance and reflection on sound archives 

A special highlight of the evening was the artistic performance by Elsa M'Bala, a renowned Cameroonian-German (sound) artist and musician. M'bala invited the guests to travel through soundscapes in order to reshape their understanding of music in general and of the ‘other’ in particular. The sound performance opened up a space in which music could be experienced not only as an art form, but also the reflection of history and memory. 

The performance was introduced by a reflection from TheMuseumsLab Fellows who, together with the artist, discussed the context of the performance and the significance of sound as a cultural archive. They provided exciting insights into how the past and present are connected through sound and what role museums can take in this. 

Encounters and dialogue with the Fellows 

Another key moment of the event was the lively exchange between the guests and the 50 TheMuseumsLab Fellows. They represent a diverse network of museum professionals from 34 African and European countries. The Fellows work and learn closely together over the duration of the programme in order to develop new approaches to the challenges and opportunities facing museums in the future.

A platform for the future 

Since its foundation in 2021, TheMuseumsLab has established itself as an important initiative that has set itself the task of building bridges between individuals, institutions, nations and continents in the museum world. The aim is to turn museums into places for actively engaging with the past and shaping a just future. 

TheMuseumsLab is a cooperation project supported by a number of renowned institutions, including the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the TheMuseumsLab Alumni Network, a high-calibre international Academic Committee and an annually changing African museum partner. The project is funded by the Minister of State for Culture and the Media and the Federal Foreign Office. 

More information about TheMuseumsLab 

Link Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkJUiVM7xCg

Vortragende Person im Sauriersaal TheMuseumsLab Fellow Event Marvin Systermans
Vortragende Person im Sauriersaal TheMuseumsLab Fellow Event Marvin Systermans
Vortragende Person im Sauriersaal TheMuseumsLab Fellow Event Marvin Systermans
Vortragende Person im Sauriersaal TheMuseumsLab Fellow Event Marvin Systermans
Vortragende Person im Sauriersaal TheMuseumsLab Fellow Event Marvin Systermans

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