Special events
Exhibitions
The Wereldmuseum is working on the refurbishment of the whole museum. However, during the time of the international symposium there will be three temporary displays, two of which are closely related to the Pacific.
Time for Papua
Time for Papua brings different perspectives together: from refined wood carvings and korwar figures to fine mats and recent film works. You see how creators make history tangible, how objects form relationships, and how a dynamic perception of time clashes with imposed boundaries and economic interests.
We bring together context, dissenting voices, and current examples. This unfolds a story of resilience and imagination: deeply rooted in place and past, yet focused on a just, green future. Come see, think along, and discover why now—more than ever—it’s time for Papua. This exhibition can be seen from 13 February 2026 until 3 January 2027.
See: https://leiden.wereldmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/time-papua
Darwin in Paradise Camp
In Darwin in Paradise Camp Yuki Kihara recasts past narratives by using Fa’afafine models – a third gender community in Sāmoa, to which Kihara also belongs – in colourful, hyperreal photographs reflecting Gauguin’s compositions. Darwin’s evolutionary theories and queer aesthetics in the animal ‘queendom’ inspired Kihara to create Darwin Drag – a video work featuring Kihara herself prosthetically transformed as Charles Darwin, who confides in a renown Sāmoan drag queen, BUCKWEAT, that he has been unhappy keeping his secret in the closet about queer species for so long. Specially for this exhibition, brand new works will feature entitled Moana Queer taxonomy. This exhibition can be seen from 8 May 2026 until 3 January 2027.
Northern Wave
Northern Wave focuses on the relationship between Sámi art, craftsmanship, land and sovereignty. Centuries of colonisation and assimilation by Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia have put pressure on their language, land, and way of life.
The exhibition shows the how Europe’s only recognised Indigenous people use art and making traditions in the struggle for self-determination and the preservation of Sámi culture, and demonstrate the deep connection to their unceded land, Sápmi. Northern Wave will feature well-known contemporary artists such as Anders Sunna, Outi Pieski and Britta Marakatt-Labba as well as fine Sámi craftworks.
Excursion
See: https://www.missiemuseum.nl/en
Exhibition in Paris
Plumes from Paradise. Journey of an Extraordinary Bird from New Guinea
From the forests of New Guinea to the paintings of the great masters of the Northern School, a fascinating journey in the footsteps of birds of paradise, flamboyant creatures that have captivated the world for five centuries.
This exhibition traces the circulation of feathers and representations of birds of paradise, enchanting birds native to the lush forests of New Guinea. Objects of desire, contemplation and inspiration, these spectacular creatures have travelled across eras and continents.
Bringing together nearly 190 works – jewellery, paintings, stuffed specimens, fashion items and accessories, objets d’art and illustrated works – the exhibition combines perspectives from natural history, art, ethnology, fashion and ecology. It sheds light on how these birds have been collected, represented, admired and transformed over time in Oceania, Asia and Europe.
Designed in collaboration with scientists, academics and artists from New Guinea, the exhibition offers contemporary local interpretations. It invites us to rethink our relationship with living things and knowledge, taking into account the pressing issues of this century, and to discover these dazzling feathers with a fresh perspective.
See: https://www.quaibranly.fr/en/exhibitions-and-events/at-the-museum/exhibitions/event-details/e/plumes-du-paradis