Extinctions!?

In collaboration with partners from Latin America in particular, this exhibition questions common narratives of extinction and retells them from other perspectives.

The collections of the Weltmuseum Wien contain objects that can be used to tell stories about the extinction of human cultures, but which also talk about their resilience and survival.

Extinctions!? is part of the project TAKING CARE – Ethnographic and World Cultures Museums as Spaces of Care launched in October 2019. It positions ethnographic and world cultures museums as central spaces to explore the connections between ethnographic collections and questions regarding the climate crisis and the Anthropocene, and in this context addresses issues related to the afterlives of colonialism. Scheduled to run for four years, the project brings together fourteen partner organisations and is co-financed by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

How do I explain to children what extinct cultures are and why cultures go extinct? The Baobab association has compiled a list of literature, film and educational material tips that address the topics of the exhibition. Baobab is part of the C3 Library for Development Policy at Sensengasse 3 in Vienna's 9th district. They are the largest educational and scientific library on global learning, international development and women/gender in Austria. The library is open to the public and a place of knowledge, education and encounter.

Our curatorial team has also compiled a bibliography for anyone interested in delving deeper into the themes of the exhibition.