Image credit: The Atolan indigenous chief performs a ritual before the opening ceremony of the exhibition, 2026. Provided by Su-Mei Lo.
The global museum field is undergoing a profound shift toward engagement, moving from treating museums as static repositories of historical artefacts to reimagining them as dynamic spaces for relational ethics and collaborative curation. In Taiwan, this transformation carries a unique urgency. As the nation grapples with transitional justice and revitalising Austronesian heritage, museums have increasingly become critical contact zones. Within these spaces, state institutions, international bodies, and Indigenous communities continuously negotiate identity, memory, and cultural sovereignty.
This special issue explores how Indigenous knowledge systems are actively dismantling and reshaping orthodox curatorial methodologies, both within Taiwan and across global borders. The contributors move past the well-intentioned but often superficial concept of institutional inclusion. Instead, they investigate collaborative models where Indigenous peoples act as primary co-curators, authors, and custodians of their material and immaterial culture.
Orchids Across Realms: Transnational Museum Collaboration and Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in Taiwan Written by Yian Chen.