Hacking the Museum: Mandela27 – A Democratic DIY Pop-Up Installation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29311/mas.v21i1.4289

Keywords:

Hacking, Museum, Pop-Up, Democratic, Mandela

Abstract

In Mandela27 the museum was ‘hacked’ to create a democratic Do-it-Yourself (DIY) pop-up exhibition, inspired by the story of Nelson Mandela’s incarceration. The installation tells the story of the journey from apartheid to democracy and reconciliation in South Africa through a 360 video, archival photographs, a digital game and an interactive timeline – all displayed from within a symbolic reconstruction of Mandela’s cell in Robben Island Prison.

The project succeeded in involving a range of diverse audiences, including visitors from under-represented social groups, through its design as a low-cost, pop-up physical/digital installation. It was the design of Mandela27 that allowed it to be made available and freely accessible online across Europe and South Africa, where it has been displayed in multiple ways by local communities. Since 2015, the installation has been exhibited at over 50 venues to over 184,000 people and was still touring in 2023.

Author Biographies

Jacqueline Anne Cawston, Centre for Postdigital Cultures, Coventry University

Professor Jacqueline Cawston is Professor of Immersive Culture and Heritage and Co-Director of the Centre for Postdigital Cultures at Coventry University. Previously she was Programmes Director for the Serious Games Institute and Deputy Director of the Disruptive Media Learning Lab at Coventry University. She has been author and Principal Investigator of many international, digital media, cultural research projects, including working with: the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, BT Archives, Robben Island Museum and the Lanchester Interactive Archive. Specialising in digital innovation and research, she has presented at conferences around the world, her passion is digital media for inclusivity, heritage and culture

Nomatshayina Mfeketho, Independent Radio Producer

Nomatshayina Mfeketho is an independent educational radio programmes producer, a facilitator of change, and a mentor for small business enterprise with over 20 years of experience in the field of social development.  Previously, Nomatshayina was the Manager of Robben Island Museum’s Schools & Public Heritage Programmes Unit. In this role, she spearheaded several educational programmes including the Mandela27 Project. Nomatshayina currently works with youth and women entrepreneurs from underprivileged backgrounds to equip them with the skills they need to succeed as entrepreneurs and link them to opportunities. 

David Powell, Elderberry AB

David Powell is the Managing Director of Elderberry AB, he is a qualified teacher, trainer and university lecturer. He was the senior curator of the Swedish Museum of Architecture. He has a Master degree from Liverpool University department of Architecture and a Master Degree from Konstfack Swedish University of Arts and Design. He is fluent in Swedish and English in which he has authored and edited many academic publications and best-selling publications for schools. Designing and curating travelling educational exhibitions, including the recent Mandela27 and Grandma’s Story. He has led teacher training courses for over 20 years, specialising in the use of arts and culture in education.

Dimitar Angelov, Centre for Global Learning, Education and Attainment

Dr Dimitar Angelov is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Academic Writing and a Research Associate at the Institute for Global Education at Coventry University, UK. As a specialist in academic writing and writing for publication, he has led on the institution’s researcher development provision for Early-, Mid-Career and Senior Researchers. Dr Angelov’s research interests focus on practices, policy frameworks and ethics regulating transnational higher-education partnerships between institutions in the Global North and the Global South; academic-writing consultants’ training and management; and online pedagogies in HE, especially in the context of new media and multimodality

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Published

15.05.2023

How to Cite

Cawston, J. A., Mfeketho, N., Powell, D., & Angelov, D. (2023). Hacking the Museum: Mandela27 – A Democratic DIY Pop-Up Installation. Museum & Society, 21(1), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.29311/mas.v21i1.4289

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2023): Open Issue

Section

Articles

License

Copyright remains with the author(s) of the article. This article can be re-used according to the terms of the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0  licence.