Weltmuseum Vienna explores hidden histories through stones and hair

The Weltmuseum Vienna has opened a new exhibition exploring the hidden histories of objects in its collections, from stone sculptures and hair-related artefacts to Pakistani art and Indigenous perspectives from Paraguay, ORF reported.

“These are very diverse collections that came to our museum in very different ways,” director Claudia Banz said. “It is a large collection full of surprises. We want to show what stories can be discovered in it.”

The resulting three-part programme examines different aspects of the museum’s work.

Uncertain origins of a stone sculpture

The exhibition “Stone by Stone” uses stone sculptures from the Americas and Asia to explore provenance research, which has become increasingly important in colonial contexts. Curator Bettina Zorn selected nine objects, most of which were once parts of religious buildings before entering the collection in the 19th century.

One object may be touched by visitors and highlights the difficulties involved. Although it was catalogued in 2012, both its origin and acquisition history remain unclear. Despite the antique appearance of the female figure, its label gives the possible provenance as “China, early 20th century?” It adds that, based on current knowledge, the figure may be a deliberately misleading construction, possibly a forgery.

Pakistani art from a private donation

Another section focuses on a 2018 donation by former United Nations employee Brigitte Neubacher, who lived in Pakistan and Afghanistan from 1990 to 2000 and collected contemporary Pakistani art.

“It is a small exhibition for the very important figures of Pakistani art who are not yet well known in Austria but play a major role worldwide,” curator Tobias Mörike said.

All the artists shown attended the National College of Arts in Lahore, an art school founded in 1958 on the model of the Bauhaus. The exhibition presents socially critical and feminist positions by Salima Hashmi, Quddus Mirza and others.

Hair, identity and the “Schwarsnegger Cut”

Curator Henrie Dennis explores the cultural significance of hair through objects including combs and items made from bone, horn, metal, wood, shell and ivory. The objects all have a direct connection to people, for whom skin and hair have long formed part of identity and self-understanding.

The section also includes contemporary art, including a large installation by Joy Anwulika Alphonsus and Sofia Ishola and a video. A salon corner, complete with a padded rotating barber’s chair in front of a large mirror, adds a barbershop atmosphere.

Display boards on the walls appear to come from African hair salons. In Ghana in 1991, customers could reportedly choose between a “Boeing 707 Cut”, an “Invasion USA Cut” and a “Schwarsnegger Cut”.

“Hidden Stories. Treasures from the Collections” runs until 30 May 2027.

Indigenous community encounters its own history

A pop-up exhibition connects the museum with contemporary representatives of the Indigenous Ishír, also known as Chamacoco, community from the Gran Chaco, a broad region in western Paraguay threatened by land seizures, deforestation and monocultures.

Representatives visiting Vienna were invited to view collection holdings linked to the historical collection of Italian painter, photographer and ethnologist Guido Boggiani, who lived from 1861 to 1902. Curator Claudia Augustat said the encounter produced unexpected results, with members of the community proudly recognising objects from their own history.

The exhibition brings together 35 objects and photographs from Boggiani’s collection with new perspectives, stories and artistic positions. “Ishír: Living Memory from Paraguay” runs until 24 January 2027.