Mikeka

Mikeka is the Kiswahili word for a type of mat that is primarily woven by women. Recently, it has also become the title of the online archive, which documents the production of knowledge between the Lamu Museums in Kenya and the Ethnological Museum in Berlin as part of the Talking Mats: Interwoven Histories — Connecting People (s) project. Inspired by the performative knowledge practice of Swahili culture, the project members in Berlin invite the guest rooms to jointly and actively create a contribution for the braiders in Kipini and Ozi (Kenya) — in return for the mats they have created in dialogue with and for the collaborating museums.

The guest room is divided into three parts. After a brief introduction, some project members from Berlin use the example of the online archive to reflect on what they have learned from Mikeka. These reflections should inspire those present for the subsequent active part. They are invited to write down spontaneous thoughts and contribute in rhythmic poetry form. Another opportunity to get involved is in the center of the guest room, where the technique of MikeKa-weaving can be learned and practiced together with members of the tubman.network.

ComUse — The Collaborative Museum is an initiative of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, which aims to develop multi-perspective approaches to collection-based research and to test new formats for collaborative processes in order to sustainably intensify the decolonization and diversification of museum practice.