Museum Night Leiden

Oostenwind

The Museum Night programme “Oostenwind” brings a cultural wave from the Pacific Ocean. Immerse yourself in new art and culture from South Korea, Samoa and West Papua.

From underground scene to global sensation: K-pop is booming. In the exhibition K-pop: A Snapshot, you’ll discover the power behind this visual and musical culture. And it’s not just about watching: during Museum Night, the Korean band NuMori will be coming to the Wereldmuseum Leiden for a spectacular outdoor performance. In the exhibition Darwin in Paradise Camp, artist Yuki Kihara questions Western ideas about nature, gender and identity. And in the programme surrounding Time for Papoea, it becomes clear how art, culture, history and politics are interwoven with music as a powerful voice in the quest for justice. And there’s more; follow the flow of Oostenwind.

And there’s more; follow the flow of Oostenwind.

Get your tickets here.

Guest curators

For this edition in particular, we are collaborating with guest curators Bettina Brunt and Julia Jouwe, who each bring their own expertise and passion to enrich the programme. Bettina Brunt focuses on the Korean Wave: a cultural phenomenon that has spread worldwide since the end of the twentieth century and has become an icon of popular culture. Her programme brings together all these facets, from K-food and beauty to fashion, art, traditions, TV, film and, of course, K-pop.

For the programme on Time for Papua, the museum is collaborating with Julia Jouwe. Drawing on her research and the podcast Goudeerlijk: The Story of Papua, she brings together personal stories, archive material and political context. Her programme connects storytelling with music as a form of struggle, remembrance and solidarity. From historical protest songs to contemporary sounds, it becomes clear how music plays a vital role in the independence movement and in keeping collective memory and hope alive.

PROGRAMME

The full programme will be available shortly. Keep an eye on the website!

Music | Bird of Paradise and Disco Angel

Robinson Jouwe is a pianist, singer, composer and arranger. His songs are about hope, love, being queer and finding your place in this world. He released the single Bird of Paradise, which refers to Robinson’s namah tanah (birth name) Tiache, meaning ‘bird of paradise’ in the Papuan language of his kampung, Kayu Pulau. According to tradition, this name was intuitively given to him at birth by his grandfather, Nicolaas Jouwe. Another song, Disco Angel, is an ode to the queer disco stars of the 1970s and 1980s and is about freedom and self-expression.

Outdoors | 20:15–21:25

Music | Numori

Numori means ‘new rhythm’. K-pop and K-rock are combined with the Korean percussion music Samulnori and the Korean narrative art Pansori. In this way, they have created the unique genre of electro Korean music.

Their debut album Guna Guna (2016) brought together Korean shamanistic music with jazz rock, whilst the follow-up album Moon of Fantasy (2018) was hailed as a successful fusion of traditional Korean music and progressive rock. In 2024, Numori embark on a new chapter with the album Electro Korean Music, featuring an intense, energetic and groundbreaking sound.

Outdoor Stage | 22:45–23:45