Abstract:
The project Anarchiving Ocean Margins, part of the „Global Connectivity in Maritime Perspective“ fellowship at the Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven (DSM), reimagines maritime heritage by foregrounding perspectives often silenced in German maritime museum collections. Centered on the historical saltpeter trade between Germany and Chile, the research traces the colonial, ecological, and cultural resonances of German sailing voyages beyond Europe—across past, present, and future. Through artistic-ethnographic methods, anarchival practices, and postcolonial ocean studies, the project rethinks the DSM as a space for trans-oceanic dialogue. Collaborations with Global South researchers bring attention to the lasting impacts of the saltpeter trade and its entanglements with today’s lithium extractivism and environmental degradation. Using artistic strategies of environmental sound and collective listening, the project explores how the sound of history and future-making can emerge through speculative “sonotories.” In doing so, it seeks to contribute to decolonial museology while fostering inclusive, multisensory public engagement and environmental activism.
Bio:
Melanie Garland is an interdisciplinary artist and researcher with a PhD in philosophy, focusing on anthropology, artistic practices, and postcolonial studies. She is currently a visiting scholar at the Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum Bremerhaven and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Her work combines artistic-anthropological and curatorial approaches, developing collaborative and multisensory practices that challenge traditional ethnographic display. Garland has exhibited internationally, with highlights including the Kaunas Biennale, Fondazione Cini at the Venice Biennale, the Berlin Refugee Memorial, and Maxim Gorki Theater. Her works are held in collections such as Luciano Benetton, Lite-Haus Gallery, and Amo Living Archive Berlin.