Reimagining the South African Museum: Beyond the 200-year-old Wunderkammer

The Iziko South African Museum (ISAM) is the oldest and largest museum in southern Africa. Established in 1852, the museum has a history of scientific endeavour and scholarship in the disciplines of natural history and humanities that is unparalleled in the region. It also has a problematic colonial history steeped in unethical collections, research and exhibition practices. In 2025, the ISAM will be 200 years old, and Iziko Museums is leveraging the bicentenary to reimagine its exhibitions and implement decolonised and inclusive storytelling that promotes co-curation, transformation, social cohesion, nation-building, activism and awareness. A key related task is researching the museum’s vast collections and archives with fresh eyes, multi-disciplinary perspectives, and new technologies to unlock reimagined Africa-relevant narratives for dissemination to the public. The session will begin with a panel discussion in the Iziko South African Museum with curatorial staff at hand to engage with the delegates in the new reimagined exhibitions. The panel will comprise Iziko’s emerging and established natural and social scientists/curators who are just some of the experts at the forefront of reimagining the ISAM.

Moderator: Dr Wayne Florence (South Africa) – Director: Research and Exhibitions at Iziko Museums of South Africa

Panellists:

• Dr Wendy Black (South Africa) – Chief Curator of Art and Social History at Iziko Museums of South Africa
• Dr Wandile Kasibe (South Africa) – Curator of Culture and Identity at Iziko Museums of South Africa
• Annelize Kotze (South Africa) – Curator of Social History at Iziko Museums of South Africa
• Dr Nokuthula Nhleko (South Africa) – Curator of Entomology at Iziko Museums of South Africa