South Australian Museum displays rare Vanuatu musical treasures

The South Australian Museum has launched a new pop-up exhibition titled ‘Pacific Cultures in Motion: Revitalising the Collection’. The display features rare musical treasures from Vanuatu, including a 2.8-meter-high slit drum and several objects that have never been exhibited before, such as bamboo flutes and musical balls.

The exhibition is part of an ongoing conservation and cultural care program for the museum’s Pacific Cultures collection. It was inspired by a collaboration between Ni-Vanuatu performer Edgell Junior Edgell and Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara man Elisha Umuhuri, both of whom work with the Adelaide-based Patch Theatre. The theatre company intends to use the slit drum to develop a soundtrack for a production premiering in 2027.

Visitors to the North Foyer can view a video of Edgell Junior and Umuhuri collaborating in a studio and discussing the cultural significance of music. The exhibition is free to the public and is scheduled to run from October 15 until early 2027.