Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi

Abstract

This article specifically concerns itself with Museum of Malawi as an institution of public culture. Particularly it explores how Museum of Malawi collected, exhibited and interpreted its heritage in its displays. Drawn on a combination of historical modes of inquiry that include qualitative interviews, documentary sources and exhibition analysis the article argues that it is largely through ethnographic collections that the Museum of Malawi constructed and continues to construct the identity of the nation or community more than anything else. Its ethnographic collections have become a medium to visualize the nation. However, these ethnographic displays are trapped in coloniality despite being in a post-colonial moment. The article provides a critical analysis of history of Museum of Malawi and its representations as an original contribution to the fields of museums and heritage. Moreover, the article is appropriately situated within the context of post-colonial critiques and decolonial debates of the role of museums and museum collections in post-colonial societies.