99 Questions Podcast

Welcome to "Feminisms in the Museum", a five-part podcast series which explores different currents and schools of feminist thought, and aims to expand feminist perspectives on museum activities and experiences. Throughout the series, host Jena Samura is joined by various artists, scholars and museum professionals who take a look at what feminism means to them and how feminist activism and thought shape the way they think about, and work with, museums. From the museum entrance to its archives, from the programming of community projects to the stewarding of colonial collections, we ask: What would a feminist museum look like? How would it feel? How would it be designed and organized in its space and its structures? And what would its purpose be? Due to feminism being, of course, a very wide topic, this series does not aim to be comprehensive — we will not cover feminism in all its different waves, interpretations, goals, strategies, and affiliations. Instead, "Feminisms in the Museum" aspires to share a variety of voices and perspectives that can broaden understanding of feminist thought, sharpen critical approaches to museum practice and inspire new models of knowledge sharing, storytelling, welcome and care. “Feminisms in the Museum” is written and produced by Eliza Apperly and Alondra Meier. Sound design and editing by Benjamin Nash, Nora Mihle, Annelien Van Heymbeeck and Andreas König. Artwork by Diana Ejaita. Project curation by Michael Dieminger. Project management by Selina McKay. Our podcast is part of the 99 Questions programme at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information and show notes, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/feminisms-in-the-museum-109860/.

For this episode, we are joined by Va-Bene Fiatsi, curator, mentor, artistic director, and self-described “artivist” based in Kumasi, Ghana. Also known as crazinisT artisT, Va-Bene tells us about her artistic investigation of gender stereotypes, identity politics and anti-black as well as anti-queer violence, and how she uses performance and installation to bring these themes into public institutions and spaces. We hear how Va-Bene's experiences as a trans woman inform her practice and learn how she foregrounds her own body in her work to push institutional boundaries and confront prejudice and marginalization, while exploring her own vulnerability and emotions. With a portfolio of performances around the globe, Va-Bene discusses how she navigates different contexts and histories, and also comments on what it is like to work in a climate of intensifying LGBTQ+ violence and discrimination in Ghana, with an anti-LGBTQ+ bill currently making its way through Ghanaian parliament. “Feminisms in the Museum” is written and produced by Eliza Apperly and Alondra Meier. Sound design and editing by Benjamin Nash, Nora Mihle, Annelien Van Heymbeeck and Andreas König. Artwork by Diana Ejaita. Project curation by Michael Dieminger. Project management by Selina McKay. Our podcast is part of the 99 Questions programme at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information and show notes, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/feminisms-in-the-museum-109860/.

In this episode, our guest is Poulomi Basu, a Kolkata-born and London-based artist who works at the intersection of art, activism, and technology – often inspired by ecofeminism. Together, we look at the interconnectedness of racial, gender and ecological issues experienced by women in the Global South and ask how women might embrace and transcend traditional gender roles in advocating for the planet. We explore the radical potential of care in forging solidarity and resistance and reflect on the importance of coalition building beyond the single artist or institution. Finally, we consider new ways of storytelling, such as virtual reality, and discuss how these immersive, embodied experiences can help to urge social, environmental and political change. “Feminisms in the Museum” is written and produced by Eliza Apperly and Alondra Meier. Sound design and editing by Benjamin Nash, Nora Mihle, Annelien Van Heymbeeck and Andreas König. Artwork by Diana Ejaita. Project curation by Michael Dieminger. Project management by Selina McKay. Our podcast is part of the 99 Questions programme at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information and show notes, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/feminisms-in-the-museum-109860/.

In this episode, we welcome Emelie Chhangur, director and curator of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada. We learn how Emelie approaches the museum's dual mandate as a public institution and pedagogical resource and how she has developed her experimental and participatory curatorial practice, including several feminist and decolonising initiatives. We explore in particular her concept of “in-reach”, which aims to transform institutions from within and to mobilise new kinds of relationships with surrounding communities. We also discuss Emelie's development of a major expansion and renovation project at the Agnes and consider how new museum architectures can allow new stories, care practices and social imaginaries to emerge. Finally, as we reflect on the important distinction between access and trust, we ask how the museum can ensure space for Indigenous self-determination and become a home for entities, practices and temporalities that are, from Indigenous worldview, alive and breathing. “Feminisms in the Museum” is written and produced by Eliza Apperly and Alondra Meier. Sound design and editing by Benjamin Nash, Nora Mihle, Annelien Van Heymbeeck and Andreas König. Artwork by Diana Ejaita. Project curation by Michael Dieminger. Project management by Selina McKay. Our podcast is part of the 99 Questions programme at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information and show notes, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/feminisms-in-the-museum-109860/.

Together with artist and educator Celia Herrera Rodríguez, we dive into Chicana feminism. As Celia recalls her upbringing between Mexico and the United States, we explore how the Chicana feminist movement first emerged in the 1960s and how it encourages the unlearning of colonial and patriarchal constructions of, and restrictions on, women. Celia also tells us how the Chicana movement helped her in finding her voice and shaping her feminism. Besides, we learn about central aspects of Chicana feminism, including in-betweenness, cultural hybridity, ambiguity and resilience. We discuss the movement's relationship to images and image-making, including the symbolism and reimagination of Mexican female figures and icons like La Llorona or La Virgen de Guadalupe. Celia shares how her own artistic practice incorporates Chicana themes and reflects on key figures and influences in the movement, such as Gloria Anzaldúa. Lastly, we hear about the ways in which Chicana feminist art has begun to occupy public and museum spaces and the necessity of transforming these spaces to accommodate Chicana time, materials and self-determination. “Feminisms in the Museum” is written and produced by Eliza Apperly and Alondra Meier. Sound design and editing by Benjamin Nash, Nora Mihle, Annelien Van Heymbeeck and Andreas König. Artwork by Diana Ejaita. Project curation by Michael Dieminger. Project management by Selina McKay. Our podcast is part of the 99 Questions programme at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information and show notes, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/feminisms-in-the-museum-109860/.

For the opening of this series, we are joined by Françoise Vergès, political scientist, writer, activist, and curator, who introduces us to decolonial feminism. Drawing on Françoise's powerful manifesto “A Decolonial Feminism”, we explore how this framework can help us examine “white” or “civilizing” feminism's blind spots, and complicity in enslavement, colonisation and racial capitalism. We discuss the importance of – and possible limitations to – an intersectional analysis of oppression and consider the perspectives that might be revealed by a multidimensional approach. Furthermore, by asking who cleans the world around us, Françoise encourages us to reflect on cleaning as essential labour to the functioning of the state, public institutions and infrastructure, and to consider the invisibility of those who do cleaning work – the majority marginalised and racialised women. Finally, we hear about Françoise's own experience developing a “post museum” on Réunion island and discuss how decolonial feminism might reshape museum design and practice, encouraging us to move beyond objects, facilitate access to collections, think beyond big institutions in capital cities and ensure that different bodies and different ways of being all feel welcome in this public space. “Feminisms in the Museum” is written and produced by Eliza Apperly and Alondra Meier. Sound design and editing by Benjamin Nash, Nora Mihle, Annelien Van Heymbeeck and Andreas König. Artwork by Diana Ejaita. Project curation by Michael Dieminger. Project management by Selina McKay. Our podcast is part of the 99 Questions programme at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information and show notes, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/feminisms-in-the-museum-109860/.

As our podcast series is coming to an end, we meet with Dr. Sasha Engelmann, geographer, artist and lecturer in GeoHumanities at the Royal Holloway University of London. She talks with us about the military history of atmosphere and weather surveillance technologies. We also learn about alternative feminist and creative approaches to atmosphere and environmental knowledge-making. Together, we then take a closer look at her collaborative work on design justice tools for citizen-led air quality and pollution data in Villa Inflamable, or the “Flammable Town”, located next to the largest petrochemical facility in Argentina. Besides, we hear about Sasha's and Sophie Dyer's project „Open Weather“ exploring DIY satellite ground stations and the role of the (gendered) human body in weather and atmosphere imaging. Lastly, we explore the challenges of deconstructing existing power dynamics between teachers and students within universities. This podcast is brought to you by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi and 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information, show notes and the podcast transcript, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/decolonial-ecologies-76021/ . Image © Elia Diane Fushi Bekene, selflovetribute.com / Background Image: Sasha Engelmann & Sophie Dyer, "Image transmitted by satellite NOAA-19".

In this episode our guest is Ariel Bustamante, self-taught sound artist from Chile. We talk about his collaborations with the Selk'nam people in Karukinka, Tierra del Fuego, and the Uru-Chipayan nation living between the North of Chile and Bolivia. We hear about the cosmologies and practices of these people, especially the practice of singing to peatlands. This relationship of mutual care between the Selk'nam people and the peatlands was presented in the trans-disciplinary project “Turba Tol Hol-Hol Tol” at the Venice Biennale in the Chilean Pavilion in 2022. Ariel also shares with us his experience of living alone in the Atacama desert, walking with "wind-persons” and what the spiritual powers of nature can teach us humans. Finally, we discuss the dangers of generalizing Indigenous nations and knowledge systems as well as the relevance and colonial history of anthropology and ethnography.  This podcast is brought to you by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi and 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information, show notes and the podcast transcript, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/decolonial-ecologies-76021/ . Image © Elia Diane Fushi Bekene, selflovetribute.com / Background Image: Sasha Engelmann & Sophie Dyer, "Image transmitted by satellite NOAA-19".

Our second episode with Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs takes a closer look at the fascinating and adaptable skills of marine mammals. We also come back to the practice of breathing and how it can help us to slow down in this fast-moving capitalist world. In addition, Alexis reads us a passage from her book “Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals” and we hear about what marine mammals can teach us about breathing mindfully and intentionally. Together, we also reflect on the harmful narratives created by scientific language, colonialist ideas within the scientific world and how capitalism impacts our ways of inhabiting the Earth. Lastly, we talk about the Afrodeutsch or Afro-German movement as well as Alexis' current research and book project on the poet, scholar and activist Audre Lorde. This podcast is brought to you by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi and 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information, show notes and the podcast transcript, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/decolonial-ecologies-76021/ . Image © Elia Diane Fushi Bekene, selflovetribute.com / Background Image: Sasha Engelmann & Sophie Dyer, "Image transmitted by satellite NOAA-19".

In this two-part episode our guest is Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, queer Black feminist writer, scholar and activist with whom we dive into her most recent book “Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals”. Where lies the interconnection between marine mammals and Black feminism? What does the queerness of marine mammals look like? What can we as humans learn from marine mammals, their skills, qualities and ways of life? We also discuss how Eurocentrism, patriarchy, capitalism and heteronormativity might be present in the making of scientific knowledge which claims to be objective and universal. Besides, we explore the impact the Western scientific language might have on justifying an extractive relationship with the planet as well as with the human and non-human living beings we share it with. Lastly, Alexis talks with us about the practice and power of breathing consciously. This podcast is brought to you by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi and 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information, show notes and the podcast transcript, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/decolonial-ecologies-76021/ . Image © Elia Diane Fushi Bekene, selflovetribute.com / Background Image: Sasha Engelmann & Sophie Dyer, "Image transmitted by satellite NOAA-19".

Together with activist, researcher and creative Samie Blasingame we take a look at food systems and how today's global food system is connected to and influenced by colonial history and the exploitation of people and ecosystems. We discuss the meanings behind food labels like “organic”, “local” or “fair trade” and the realities of people like farmers working in food chain production. We also take a look at food diversity, climate and environmental injustices. Finally, we discuss the responsibility of universities to include more voices from the Global South and marginalized people in the academic fields of ecology and environmental studies. This podcast is brought to you by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi and 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information, show notes and the podcast transcript, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/decolonial-ecologies-76021/ . Image © Elia Diane Fushi Bekene, selflovetribute.com / Background Image: Sasha Engelmann & Sophie Dyer, "Image transmitted by satellite NOAA-19".

In the first episode of our series we learn about the colonial history of conservation parks and conservation structure in the Global South, especially Africa, and how those conservation structures are entangled with colonialism and colonial powers. Our guest Dr. Mordecai Ogada, wildlife ecologist from Kenya, conservation policy expert and co-author, together with John Mbaria, of the book “The Big Conservation Lie” tells us about the creation of conservation parks as white spaces and the lack of integration of Black and Indigenous people within the conservation discourse. We also explore how the Western wildlife and conservation narrative is depicted in mainstream media and the arts. Besides, we reflect on how to deal, as individuals, with traveling to conservation areas and finding ways to act responsible with regards to nature and the environment. This podcast is brought to you by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi and 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information, show notes and the podcast transcript, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/decolonial-ecologies-76021/ . Image © Elia Diane Fushi Bekene, selflovetribute.com / Background Image: Sasha Engelmann & Sophie Dyer, "Image transmitted by satellite NOAA-19".

In our podcast series "Decolonial Ecologies", hosted and curated by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi, we talk about the history of ecology and how it became a scientific academic field interconnected with systems of power and oppression. Colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism, Eurocentrism and heteronormativity have been applied to produce ecological knowledge that claims to be universal and objective. Therefore, museums and universities have contributed to shape and justify an extractive way of inhabiting the Earth. In each episode, you will hear a researcher, an activist or an artist who challenges the Western mainstream narrative on ecology with intersectional feminist and queer perspectives, perspectives from Black, Indigenous and People of Color. We will discuss decolonial practices in both the Global South and the Global North to more ethically respond to the current climate and social crises. Besides individual and citizen actions, we will also take a look at the responsibility of museums and universities to deconstruct the colonial heritage of their own structures. For example, we will discuss how restitution of colonial artifacts by museums can be seen as a part of the climate and environmental justice agenda. This podcast is brought to you by Dr. Aouefa Amoussouvi and 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. For more information, show notes and the podcast transcript, visit https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/digitales-angebot/digital-en/decolonial-ecologies-76021/ . Image © Elia Diane Fushi Bekene, selflovetribute.com / Background Image: Sasha Engelmann & Sophie Dyer, "Image transmitted by satellite NOAA-19".

This trailer briefly explains what to expect on Access For Who? hosted by Chao Taiyana Maina and Molemo Moiloa. We explore digital restitution in detail; if digital restitution is being presented as a strategy for safe keeping and preservation, we are asking for who? And for what purposes? And are we making decisions about digitisation that ensure these objectives are met in ethical, equitable ways? For wider accessibility of the podcast's subject matter, transcripts of the episodes are available in French and German through a free zine, which can be downloaded from the websites of Open Restitution Africa and Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. This podcast is brought to you by the Open Restitution Africa project, a collaboration between African Digital Heritage and Andani.Africa. It is made possible with the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss as part of the 99 Questions Podcast. For more information, visit our websites: 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss Open Restitution Africa Image © Open Restitution Africa

As the two hosts and their guests move towards the end of the series they ask - How can we build sustainable digital infrastructure that is people centered and Africa centered? They reflect on indigenous data sovereignty, data stewardship and creative strategies towards collective care for digital data. Positing that digital collections are not a point of reversal to an idealized past but rather a point of departure towards a collectively imagined future. For wider accessibility of the podcast's subject matter, transcripts of the episodes are available in French and German through a free zine, which can be downloaded from the websites of Open Restitution Africa and Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. This podcast is brought to you by the Open Restitution Africa project, a collaboration between African Digital Heritage and Andani.Africa. It is made possible with the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss as part of the 99 Questions Podcast. For more information, visit our websites: Open Restitution Africa 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss Image © Open Restitution Africa

This episode explores the complex and entangled questions around legal ownership of digital collections in the face of already contested physical collections. While Western IP systems are built around individual ownership, indigenous knowledge systems are designed to have communal and collective benefits. What limitations and dangers does this present in the context of mass digitisation? Who has the right to make digital copies in the first place? And how can we imagine legal ownership outside Western oriented frameworks? For wider accessibility of the podcast's subject matter, transcripts of the episodes are available in French and German through a free zine, which can be downloaded from the websites of Open Restitution Africa and Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. This podcast is brought to you by the Open Restitution Africa project, a collaboration between African Digital Heritage and Andani.Africa. It is made possible with the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss as part of the 99 Questions Podcast. For more information, visit our websites: Open Restitution Africa 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss Image © Open Restitution Africa

In this episode the discussants reflect on digital practice as a form of repair, care and knowledge creation. Faced with challenges around access to data, absence of archives and physical removal of objects from communities - How are digital collections creating room for new African narratives and imaginations? What potential does digital restitution hold for African heritage? And how can this contribute to the physical return of artifacts? For wider accessibility of the podcast's subject matter, transcripts of the episodes are available in French and German through a free zine, which can be downloaded from the websites of Open Restitution Africa and Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. This podcast is brought to you by the Open Restitution Africa project, a collaboration between African Digital Heritage and Andani.Africa. It is made possible with the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss as part of the 99 Questions Podcast. For more information, visit our websites: Open Restitution Africa 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss Image © Open Restitution Africa

This episode takes a deep dive into the origins of museum practice and the colonial origins of museum collections. How did Western museums end up amassing hundreds of thousands of objects ? How does this legacy influence digitisation today? The discussants explore ways in which African museum practitioners are going beyond these entrenched legacies to create innovative approaches that center indigenous knowledge and prioritize people over objects. For wider accessibility of the podcast's subject matter, transcripts of the episodes are available in French and German through a free zine, which can be downloaded from the websites of Open Restitution Africa and Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. This podcast is brought to you by the Open Restitution Africa project, a collaboration between African Digital Heritage and Andani.Africa. It is made possible with the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss as part of the 99 Questions Podcast. For more information, visit our websites: Open Restitution Africa 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss Image © Open Restitution Africa

In this episode our two hosts and their guests begin by reflecting on the opportunities that digital technology presents for African societies while confronting the inequalities and biases it entrenches. Together they explore notions of digital access and digital neutrality in the context of African languages, histories and knowledge systems as they reflect on what it means to create equitable digital futures within and outside museum spaces. For wider accessibility of the podcast's subject matter, transcripts of the episodes are available in French and German through a free zine, which can be downloaded from the websites of Open Restitution Africa and Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. This podcast is brought to you by the Open Restitution Africa project, a collaboration between African Digital Heritage and Andani.Africa. It is made possible with the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss as part of the 99 Questions Podcast. For more information, visit our websites: Open Restitution Africa 99 Questions at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss Image © Open Restitution Africa

What happens to the right to culture when the objects of its manifestations are forcibly dislocated ? Can the return of objects restore this human right? And what does cultural diplomacy have to do with restitution? In this interview with law professor Naazima Kamardeen from the University of Colombo we learn about colonial collections and restitution processes through the lens of law and justice. Naazima Kamardeen also talks about the concept of guardianship and what the loss of the Buddhist statue of Tara means for Sri Lanka.

This is the second part of our double episode that deals with Germany's war atrocities and colonial crimes that were leading up to the genocide against the Nama and Ovaherero people in Namibia between 1904 and 1908. In this episode, we are joined by writer and researcher Dr. Zoé Samudzi and curator and artist Kathleen Bomani, who draw attention to the manifestations of German settler colonialism in and outside of Namibia and East Africa.

In this episode, we're joined by Sima Luipert, chairperson of the Nama Traditional Leaders Association and Nandiuasora Mazeingo, chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation. Sima and Nandi talk about the ramifications of the first genocide of the 20th century by critically examining its planning and implementation. This is the first part of our double episode that deals with Germany's war atrocities and colonial crimes that were leading up to the genocide against the Nama and Ovaherero people in Namibia between 1904 and 1908. For additional information, please visit the website of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation (OGF) https://ogfnamibia.org/ and https://www.namatraditionalleadersassociation.org/ You can also follow the OGF on Twitter: @OGF_Namibia.

In our second episode, we are joined by Njoki Ngumi and Jim Chuchu from the Nairobi-based collective The Nest. We talk about the politics of object restitution and provenance research as a means of distraction.The conversation also looks critically at the attempts of European museums to distract and legitimize, as well as at how the restitution of African objects can queer our past and present.

In the first episode, our host Feven Keleta talks with anthropologist Sharon Macdonald about the relationship between museums and national identity, and the complex nature of big museum projects like the Humboldt Forum. We are also joined by art historian and curator El Hadji Malick Ndiaye who argues for the re-socialization of African objects and how this is intertwined with cultural heritage, history, and human rights.