The first 17 museum objects have now been published on the SOAS online platform
pw. Thanks to the collaboration of Andreas Isler and studiyo filipino, part of the collection of the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich (VMZ) have for the first time been published on the online platform “Mapping Philippine Material Culture” by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in May 2023. Patrick Wirz (data analyst) was responsible for the integration of the data and the research of Annette Hug provides a brief introduction on the story behind the museum objects, highlighting their importance for the platform.
Implementation of the pilot project
The practical implementation included, among other things, the analysis of the existing database, the identification of the attributes, and mapping the Ethnographic Museum’s source format onto the target format of the SOAS platform. This is a complex task that requires careful planning and collaboration. In addition, all terms had to be translated into English. To test the feasibility, only 17 selected objects have been integrated for now, as part of a pilot project. The collaboration with the Ethnographic Museum began with a workshop in 2022, followed by numerous meetings between December 2022 and April 2023, during some of which Patrick was able to visit the museum’s archive.
A resource for researchers and the general public
While the initial contact with the museum dates back more than seven years, the project has provided the necessary framework for experts from different fields to work together. Digitization, furthermore, makes it easier to access the VMZ’s objects originating from the Philippines. The collection also helps to understand the history of the relationship between the Philippines and Switzerland. As regards the online platform “Mapping Philippine Material Culture”, which was created by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London and presented by Dr. Cristina Juan at our first symposium in 2022, it not only serves as a significant resource for researchers and students, the platform also plays an important role in the context of restitution regarding Philippine objects scattered around the world. Our assosiation’s goal is to make further objects from the Ethnographic Museum and further Swiss museums visible on the platform.
Click here to see the collection:
