Time for Papua: An Impressive Presentation of 400 Objects at Wereldmuseum Leiden
Time for Papua
An Impressive Presentation of 400 Objects
February 13, 2026 — January 3, 2027
Wereldmuseum Leiden will show the new exhibition from today Time for Papua: an impressive presentation of 400 objects, selected from the world's largest Papua collection from western New Guinea. The collection, partly formed in the colonial period, requires an approach with context, historical connection and responsibility. Time for Papua builds on this by showing the traditional and current meaning of these objects. It is the first time in sixty years that this collection has been shown so widely and historical objects are brought together with contemporary art and voices from Papua and the Dutch diaspora.
In Time for Papua, visitors will learn about Papua's dynamic Indigenous cultures, with roots dating back approximately 45,000–50,000 years. The exhibition highlights Papua's rich art and making traditions that have deeply influenced art history worldwide and are also of great significance today. With contributions from Dutch Papuans, Papuan filmmakers and contemporary artists, the presentation focuses on western New Guinea.
The result is a multi-layered narrative that gives visitors an in-depth view of Indigenous lifeworlds, showing how they are intimately intertwined with a nonlinear understanding of time in which ancestral presence is indispensable - both in everyday life and in a sophisticated, ancient creatorship. In addition, the exhibition tells about the historical bond between Papua and the Netherlands and the colonial past, and visitors are challenged to look past well-known stories through Papuan art, placed in the here and now.
Current crises, in which ecosystems and indigenous worlds are under great pressure, give objects for Papuans in New Guinea, in the diaspora and internationally a renewed and deeper meaning. Time for Papua emphasizes this important significance of the collection today: as a source of knowledge, representation and imagination for the future for communities in the region and diaspora – and shows not only what was, but also why it is now time for Papua.
Exhibition Preview
