As part of the #naprejvpreteklost (#forwardtothepast) campaign, we present a story of how museum objects build bridges between continents and people. At the beginning of 2025, the Slovene Ethnographic Museum (SEM) acquired a significant collection of objects from Tanzania, gathered by Stanko Grom, a Slovenian who lived and worked there between 1937 and 1961.

To better understand the collection’s origins and its significance today, the museum is collaborating with Tanzanian curator and artist Eliabu Mbonimpa. Throughout March and April, Eliabu conducted research at the locations where Grom once worked, connecting with local communities to gather information on the history of sisal plantations and the lead mine.

By showing villagers photographs of objects from the museum’s collection, he gained invaluable insights into their craftsmanship and function. Through this process, the museum is becoming a space without borders, where different worlds and communities meet. Watch the video for a few glimpses of his fieldwork.

In May and June, Eliabu will visit SEM, where we will co-create the upcoming exhibition. You will also have the opportunity to meet Eliabu during guided tours and art workshops.

#forwardtothepast #museumandcommunity #heritageconnects #museumwithoutborders

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The TheMuseumLab CollabFund initiative is funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation) and the Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media).

https://youtu.be/8RXYJtkvfGE?si=Cltya89z8mCSp-za