Preserving Africa’s intangible cultural heritage
With the growing number of museums in Africa, it is time for more investment in capturing the community stories of the continent
Features
How art exhibitions are changing in the face of the climate crisis
Galleries are forging links between different disciplines and locations to stimulate imaginative responses to the planetary emergency
A box of delights | National Museum of Norway, Oslo
The chief curator of Oslo’s elegant new museum talks about the difficulties and joys of uniting four collections, covering 3,500 years of history, in a single building
Best in show | Reading copy of The Haunted Man, 1848, by Charles Dickens
Emily Dunbar chooses her star object from the latest exhibition at the Charles Dickens Museum, London
How the restoration of Skylark XI helped to heal a community
The raising of the pleasure cruiser from the bottom of Loch Lomond inspired a project dedicated to helping local people in addiction recovery
Museum of… Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage, Edinburgh
Part of a working fire station, the museum documents the oldest municipal fire brigade in the UK, and features artefacts dating from 1426
Far from home: Working with Indigenous communities
Momentum is gathering behind this work, but the UK’s efforts lag behind those of some other countries
Climate and colonialism
Sria Chatterjee says we need to confront our past to create a more just world
Museums without walls
Ecomuseums use landscapes to reconnect communities with their heritage and encourage responsible tourism
Voices from outside the sector
Museums Journal asked activists, environmentalists, writers and academics about their work and how they see museums addressing the climate crisis. Here are their responses
Best in show | Recycled artwork, by Michelle Reader, 2022
A new commission at the National Space Centre inspired by Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1831
Best in show | Vivian Maier: Self-portrait, undated, MK Gallery
A shot that shows how the enigmatic photographer created presence through absence