Tag: ethnography

  • A Māori world in Vienna

    A Māori world in Vienna

    What the Māori artist George Nuku has created for the Weltmuseum Wien is truly spectacular. “Oceans. Collections. Reflections.” is the apt title of this gigantic takeover of the Weltmuseum´s entire ground floor. Seven rooms are filled from top to bottom with George Nuku´s sculptures, paintings, drawings, carvings, supplemented by items from the museum´s own collection.…

  • Subjective stories of objects at Weltmuseum Wien

    Subjective stories of objects at Weltmuseum Wien

    Things.  Lots of things.  Beautiful, curious, “exotic”, “ethnic”, historic things.  That is what you will find at the Weltmuseum Wien, which houses an extensive collection of artifacts accumulated by collectors over the last few centuries by explorers of other worlds.  These traveling collectors (such as Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este) were usually rich or…

  • Observing collectors of the exotic

    Observing collectors of the exotic

    Missionaries – mercenaries – ethnographers – tourists… One might say that collecting things is a basic human urge.  Some people collect clocks,  antique books, vintage clothing, rubber ducks, bottle tops, even umbrella sleeves (!) – you name it, somebody will surely be collecting it.   (I personally admit to an out-of-control collection of (artificial) birds…