Perspectives on the Past

Maritime historian Jeffrey Mellefont on why UNESCO has recognised the cultural significance of South Sulawesi boat-building.

A personally-confronting reflection on why, sometimes, art galleries don’t seem to work for the author.

A mini-review of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' recent exhibition of Philippine art.

A review of the refurbished Singapore History Gallery at the National Museum of Singapore.

How should we respond when heritage is damaged or destroyed?

This article explores the life and career of one of Java's great premodern leaders: the 16th-century queen of Jepara.

A team of expert Makassan boat-builders constructs a padewakang

Indonesian contemporary dance meets politics, sustainability and gender

A personal account of the author's visit to this exhibition, foregrounding both her construction of state narratives and the curatorial staging of narratives in the gallery.

On gender, art and Southeast Asia

PoP goes to EuroSEAS to present on ritual in Southeast Asia

An embodied response to Sonny Liew's graphic novel and what it reveals about history-telling.

An artist revisits the Batavia tragedy

Conspiracy theories about the past reveal important obstacles and opportunities for history education in Indonesia.

A personal account of an American musician and videographer grappling with the historical biography of Singapore's Lim Bo Seng.

Graves told stories of geographical, familial ties, folklore and culture, and spanned the realms of the sacred and profane.

The ocean is the largest museum in the world

"An encounter between Australian Indonesianists and Indonesian Australianists offers fruitful avenues for both countries

Are museums friends or foes when it comes to protecting antiquities?

Allied warships being stolen from Southeast Asian waters

Food as heritage: The origins of peranakan cuisine

Indonesia's most important writer tells the youth to take control of the nation's future.

Visiting the site of Australia's most famous shipwreck