New exhibits unveiled to highlight Livingstone’s crew
New exciting exhibits have been unveiled at the David Livingstone Birthplace (DLB) museum to highlight the untold stories of his African crew members.
A painting by Josie KO and a co-curated touchscreen exhibit have become part of the permanent exhibitions at the Blantyre centre, and were unveiled last Saturday – the 150th anniversary of the explorer’s death.
They have been commissioned by the DLB Exchange group, who have also selected objects from the museum collection to expand upon and reveal new stories of the African crews; while community arts projects including creative writing exploring Livingstone’s legacy also featured at the launch event.
Artist Josie is one of the six members of the Exchange group, who are from African, Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds and have been working with the museum for the past two years.
Her mixed-media painting, entitled Glittering Hidden Figures, draws from the statue of Livingstone in Glasgow’s Cathedral Square which depicts him at the centre with enslaved African figures standing at his feet.
KO’S artwork aims to put a spotlight on the forgotten African figures and challenge colonial ideas about the superiority of European religions and cultures.
She said:“through our project it has been important to think about the crucial role that David Livingstone holds in telling the untold stories of the African people who were part of his journey.
“We were interested in how these stories can be used to consider Black Scottish history and to engage with the African communities who are living in Scotland in the present.”
As well as the new touchscreen exhibit, the Exchange group participants have worked to research objects from the museum collection – particularly a fibrous urn belonging to Abdullah Susi and James Chuma, two of Livingstone’s most valuable crew members.
Their knowledge of languages and travel routes were pivotal to the success of Livingstone’s journeys.
While there is limited knowledge of their story, the Exchange group’s research through community members and industry professionals has included fibre analysis and microscopic imaging techniques, showing that the object is likely to made from coconut coir, a material frequently used in the shipbuilding industry of the pre-colonial Indian Ocean trade.
Curatorial and engagement manager Alasdair Campbell said:“it’s been a huge pleasure bringing the DLB community-led research group together and being part of their journey researching our collection.
“Working collaboratively and co-curating new exhibits with the group has allowed us to bring vital new perspectives into our permanent exhibition and will create a lasting legacy for the project.”