The 08 Sep 2017

Borneo - the last Terra Incognita?

Organised with the MUSEC (Museo delle Culture de Lugano), this study day is based on a series of seven presentations designed to offer the audience an exploratory introduction to Borneo through an analysis of the dynamics that have played a central role in the formation and 'reappropriation' of its identity.

(copie 26)

The island of Borneo has always been a dynamic crossroads of peoples despite the apparent isolation of its cultures. Indeed, its size and geographic location were strategic elements in the pre-Austronesian, Austronesian and modern colonisation process. This vast forested land is primarily home to vestiges of Indian, Chinese and later Malay civilisations, all of which played a role in the Austronesian expansion.

After the arrival of the Europeans in the 18th century ensued a long tradition of explorers and collectors of objects belonging to the Dayak people – the ''people of the interior' – which appeared in Western collections in the 18th century. With avant-garde artists and the interest expressed in so-called 'primitive' arts in the 20th century, various private collections began to form, with major European cities such as Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin consequently fostering the emergence of an extensive international market.


Over the 20th century, the island, politically integrated within the Malay and Indonesian states, became marginalised within its own borders. At the crossroads of cultures, Borneo became a peripheral region in a globalised world. Today, this marginalisation is becoming an asset, as it enables inhabitants to emphasise a strong identity thanks to the reappropriation of their specific cultural and historic characteristics.

  • Scientific Committee

    1. Francesco Paolo Campione (Museo delle Culture, Lugano)
    2. Paolo Maiullari (Museo delle Culture, Lugano)
    3. Constance de Monbrison (musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac)
    4. Frédéric Keck (musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac
  • Place:   Salle de cinéma
  • TimeSlots:
    The Friday 08 September 2017 from 09:30 to 18:30
  • Accessibility:
    • Handicap moteur
  • Public:   Researcher, student
  • Categorie : Symposia
  • Free entry (subject to available places)