‘Perspectives: Collecting the World’ at Forfar Meffan Museum & Art Gallery
ANGUSalive Museums & Galleries is delighted to share that a new exhibition ‘Perspectives: Collecting the World’ will be on display at Forfar Meffan Museum & Art Gallery from 24 January to 20 April 2026.
This is a new chance to see the evolving Perspectives: Collecting the World exhibition which will take you on a journey of discovery: view objects from far flung places as ANGUSalive attempt to understand the ways in which the history of Angus is interwoven with world history, and see unique and rare objects from around the world which are on display for the first time in decades.
This includes iconic samurai armour, a beautifully embellished wall panel from the Imperial Palace in China, a suit of Samurai armour, hand-crafted Fijian war clubs, and the manuscripts of explorer and diplomat Alexander Burnes who almost, but not quite, changed the course of world history. . .
The Angus World Cultures collection was largely amassed in the 19th century and features some of the earliest collecting held in our museum stores, revealing how early museums played a fundamental part in our historic understanding of different cultures and societies. The 19th century development of museums runs in tandem with the story of the British Empire; this area of the collection therefore unlocks the story of Angus and empire.
The first iteration of this exhibition ran at Montrose Museum from August to November last year. During the exhibition run ANGUSalive were delighted to be awarded funding from Creative Scotland to offer micro-commission opportunities for creative practitioners to research the collection and narratives and develop their own curatorial intervention. The Museums team were delighted to work with Kelly Zou, Sean Wai Keung and Renuka Ramanujam. Alongside their research and creating periods, they delivered a series of workshops with the local community which fed into their completed artworks. These works are now on display here at the Meffan as part of the second iteration of this exhibition and offer visitors new perspectives on the histories shared.
Many cultural organisations are now working towards decolonising their museums and collections. For ANGUSalive this has included work to present a more balanced narrative by researching the cultural and historical context of the World Cultures collection objects in depth, and through challenging the Eurocentric perspective that has been pervasive. This project is funded by Museums Galleries Scotland and began in January 2024.
Ingrid Leon, Curatorial Assistant (World Cultures), asks visitors to: “Be part of our conversation to re-discover history by exploring the legacies of Empire and colonialism in our museum collections, our towns, and in our national identity. Learn about the curiosity, tenacity and intelligence of Angus people as they travelled around the world collecting objects, but also learn more about the ethical questions surrounding the objects in this collection. We hope to take as many people as possible with us on this journey of learning as we explore Angus, Empire and the world.”
Emma Gilliland, Museums & Galleries Collections Lead, shares: “Thanks to Museums Galleries Scotland and Creative Scotland we have been able to undertake this vital work to research and share Angus’s links to colonialism and the slave trade. Not only has this project allowed us to research an under-documented area of our collection, but we have joined global museum conservations about repatriation and decolonising museum collections. Colonial history is uncomfortable, and its devastating legacy is still grappled with today; we will continue to learn from this project and are grateful to colleagues from across the sector who have helped us approach this work with sensitivity.”
The exhibition is free to visit, and the Meffan Museum is open Friday to Monday, 10.30am-4pm.
Find out more about the World Cultures project and Perspectives: Collecting the World exhibition here: https://angusalive.scot/museums-galleries/world-cultures-collection/