AUGUST 2026
Last modified July 02, 2026
Exhibit: The Ocean that Remembers
August 24, 2026 - December 21, 2026Mānoa Campus, 2550 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822
Honolulu, HI – Starting August 24, 2026, visitors to Hamilton Library Bridge Gallery can explore The Ocean That Remembers, an exhibition that brings together the voices of 13 museum professionals from across Southeast Asia and the Pacific through cultural objects they selected to represent their communities, histories, and identities. Developed through the Asia-Pacific Museum Exchange (APME), The Ocean That Remembers presents a collection of stories drawn from the participants' digital exhibit of the same name. The exhibition highlights the diverse ways museums preserve heritage, not only by caring for collections, but by safeguarding the stories, traditions, and relationships that give those collections meaning. Each featured object reflects a personal perspective from each participant, demonstrating how museum professionals serve as both stewards of the past and actors shaping the future of cultural heritage preservation. Among the featured stories is an Egyptian Roman glass shard from Palau that provides evidence of an extensive prehistoric trade network connecting Micronesia to the Mediterranean. Another explores The Wisdom of the East, the only mural completed by renowned Indonesian impressionist painter Affandi, presented by his fifth-generation descendent. ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵors will also learn about sand drawing, a unique cultural practice from Vanuatu that passes down stories and preserves knowledge within an ephemeral art form. While the objects and stories themselves differ in age, origin, and material, each represents a living connection between people and place. Together, the thirteen stories reveal the various ways in which museum collections contain living stories, and how they embody vibrant and active cultures today. The exhibition also celebrates the relationships formed during the Asia-Pacific Museum Exchange, the 16-day workshop hosted in July 2025 that brought together participants from across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Palau, Solomon Islands, American Samoa, Saipan, and Vanuatu. Each day focused on a theme, from exhibit curation to disaster planning and digital preservation. Sessions were hosted by local experts at institutions such as the Bishop Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, and the Hawai’i State Archives, among others. This collaborative installation demonstrates the connections between participating museums and communities across the region. Converging in HawaiÊ»i, the work symbolizes the exchange of knowledge, friendship, and professional collaboration that emerged through the program. The Ocean That Remembers offers an opportunity to engage with perspectives from across the Asia-Pacific while reflecting on HawaiÊ»i's unique position as a center for cultural dialogue and exchange in the Asia Pacific Region. The APME Program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and conducted through the HawaiÊ»i-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU; TA# P24AC000688).
Event Sponsor
Center for Southeast Asian Studies , Mānoa Campus
More Information
Teaghan Carruth, 8089562676, cseasme@hawaii.edu,
