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

SPECIAL: NuMori

The Korean band NuMori are travelling to the Netherlands especially for this unique performance. NuMori means ‘new rhythm’, and that is exactly what they deliver: an explosive mix of K-pop, K-rock, Samulnori percussion and Pansori storytelling. In this way, they have created their own genre: Electro Korean Music.

Since their debut album Guna Guna (2016), in which shamanistic Korean music fuses with jazz rock, the band has been known for their groundbreaking sound. With Moon of Fantasy (2018), they refined that fusion, and in 2024 they took a new step forward with the album Electro Korean Music: intense, energetic and completely innovative.

Especially for this show in the Netherlands, alongside their own work, they will perform a unique arrangement of the iconic Korean folk song Arirang, a 600-year-old song that symbolises longing, hope and resistance, and which today resonates once again worldwide within K-pop culture.

A rare live experience: raw energy, Korean tradition and futuristic sounds come together in a compelling performance that will keep you on your feet.

Outdoor Stage I 22:45–23:45

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!

Blokkenschema Museumnacht Wereldmuseum Leiden

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

Food | Korean food lovers

Are you a true Korean food lover? Then come to the Wereldmuseum Leiden for Homemade Korean Bites and sample delicious Korean dishes with a modern twist.

Outdoors | 8 pm–midnight

Beauty | A touch-up K-pop make-up

By Beauty By Cho

Are you curious about the K-pop make-up look and what it looks like? Then pop by and experience it for yourself with a real Korean make-up artist! In no time at all, you’ll get a perfect K-pop-style touch-up! Think blurred lips, glitter stones or K-pop glitter highlight. After your touch-up, it’s time for a fun selfie with Korean props to complete your look!

Workshop space | 20:00–24:00 | Price €7.50 | Drop-in

Tastings | Korean Soju Cocktails

With a history spanning centuries, Lee-Gang Ju Traditional Soju is more than a drink: it is officially recognized Korean heritage that connects generations. Once reserved for Korean royalty, it is now served in stylish restaurants, luxury hotels, and trendy bars worldwide. During Museum Night, you can taste this rich tradition through special cocktails at the Wereldmuseum. Come by and experience it for yourself.

Workshop Space | 20:00–24:00

Music | Queer party

Purple Pandan is hosting a queer party in the museum café that will have you on your feet. She blends different genres into a lively, energetic set featuring funky disco and groovy house, with a tropical twist.

The evening ties in with themes of gender diversity and inclusivity. In cultures across Polynesia and Southeast Asia, for example, terms such as fa’afafine and kathoey exist, where gender is recognised and accepted in a broader sense.

At the Wereldmuseum Leiden, artist Yuki Kihara explores how colonial ideas about gender and identity operate in ‘Paradise Camp’ and ‘Darwin Drag’, offering an indigenous queer perspective. Purple Pandan celebrates these themes with a danceable, inclusive set.

Museum Café | 21:00–00:30

Music | The Black Brothers and Mambesak

By Nancy Jouwe

Nancy Jouwe has been committed to women’s rights, the history of slavery, transcultural exchange and postcolonial heritage for many years. Within the Papuan community, she has been working towards political and cultural recognition since she was young.

During Leiden Museum Night, she pays tribute to The Black Brothers and Mambesak, two influential Papuan music groups that caused a sensation in Papua, the Pacific and the Netherlands from the 1970s onwards. Their music is imbued with Papuan identity and pride.

Grote zaal | 20:30–21:15 and 22:15–23:00 | Entry via the left door

Workshop | Queering Evolution Theory

You will create image collages of fictional, queer organisms: colorful, flamboyant, and beyond the norm. Through a queer lens, you will invent new 'species' that don't fit into binary categories and present them on an old school chart, inspired by the work Darwin Drag (2025) by Yuki Kihara, in which Darwin makes a confession: 'I kept a secret about the queer animal queendom.'

By creating in word and image, you will unravel this secret. Darwin had his reasons at the time: 'Because I was afraid of being cancelled by the Victorian establishment.' Will you succeed, despite the fear of judgment or exclusion, in telling a new story?

Cabinet | 20:00–24:00 | Duration: 20 min | Max 15 participants | Ongoing, you can join when space is available

Dragtour | Who Told You That?

With Claire Despair

Step into a different reality with Claire Despair, Karlijn de Groot’s flamboyant alter ego. As a provocative, flamboyant guide, she takes you on a journey through the work of Yuki Kihara. Don’t expect a standard guided tour, but a playful performance full of sharp questions, surprising tasks and new perspectives. Let yourself be unsettled, see things differently and rewrite the story yourself. Who has the power to determine what we see? And do you dare to overturn that perspective?

In the exhibition space Yuki Kihara: Darwin in Paradise Camp | Start times: 20:15 - 20:45 - 21:15 - 22:00 - 22:30 - 23:00 | You can join in if there is space.

Activity | Camp for Climate Change

During this workshop, inspired by Darwin in Paradise Camp, you’ll make a personalised keyring. First, in an ocean-like setting, you’ll take a self-portrait photo which will be printed straight away. Then you’ll decorate your keyring with shells, pebbles and other materials. This way, you’ll create a personal object that shows you’re a key figure in the fight for the climate, nature and the sea.

Workshop space | Continuous 20:00–24:00 | you can join if there is space

Tour in Dutch Sign Language | Time for Papua

By Mauvier Art & Culture in Sign Language

During the tour of the ‘Time for Papua’ exhibition at the Wereldmuseum in Leiden, you will discover the richness of Papuan art and culture. Themes such as craftsmanship, art, time, colonial boundaries, religion and changes in nature are explored. This guided tour is led by a deaf museum guide in NGT and is organised by Mauvier Art & Culture in Sign Language. An interpreter will also be present, so hearing family members or friends are welcome too.

Exhibition: Time for Papua | Start time 8.00 pm | Meet on the right-hand side in front of the exhibition entrance | You can register via: https://www.toegankelijkmuseum.nl/ or by sending an email to: info@toegankelijkmuseum.nl .

Workshop | Tapa

By Insos Ireeuw

Get started with a unique art form from Sentani. During this workshop, you will draw motifs on tapa: a cloth made from pounded tree bark that has been used for centuries for drawings and stories in Papua. You will draw inspiration from traditional shapes and patterns and learn, step by step, how these motifs are constructed and what they mean. At the end, you will take your own artwork home with you.

Studio | Duration: 30 minutes | Start times: 20:15 -21:15 - 22:15 |Max. 20 participants per session

Workshop | Woodcarving

Be inspired by the rich woodcarving traditions of Papua and help create a collaborative artwork during this special workshop at the Wereldmuseum. Under the guidance of an experienced artist, you will discover the techniques, symbolism and stories behind Papuan woodcarving. Each participant contributes to one large collaborative artwork that continues to grow throughout the night.

Workshop | 20:00–24:00 | Max. 5 participants per session | Duration 30 mins | Registration required at the workshop | Max. 5 participants at a time

Tour | Along the Art of the Pacific Ocean

By: Maria Rey-Lamslag

Join exhibition maker Maria Rey-Lamslag for a guided tour of the exhibition Time for Papua, which she co-created with Wonu Veys, curator of Oceania. Maria offers insight into the making of the exhibition and shares how collections, films, and contemporary art show how Papuan art—connected to the Pacific Ocean, Indonesia, and also the Netherlands—challenges us to rethink the concept of “time” and consider sustainable future scenarios for the world.

In the gallery: Time for Papua | Start times: 21:00 and 22:00 | Max. 15 participants | You can register 15 minutes in advance in the entrance hall

Drag Photobooth

with Yamuna Forzani

‘We’re all born naked, and the rest is Drag!’ Come to the Café and have your photo taken at the spectacular Drag photobooth. There will be costumes and props so you can dress up and really get into character. Have fun and be fabulous!

Photos will be taken by Linards Platacs and Eliza Kania and will be uploaded straight away.

Museumcafe | 20:00-23:30 | You can join in if there’s space

Performance | Dragging Warmly

By: House of Hopelezz

“Dragging Warmly” is an interactive performance created by Taka Taka in collaboration with Bustie La Tish and Lady Bag from the House of Hopelezz. During the performance, they share exercises designed to create a more socially warm experience, in which the audience and queer performers explore a camp approach to performance together. Unlike commercial entertainment, which is intended to be passively consumed, this twenty-minute performance offers an accessible, collective, activist and educational way to explore together all that drag can be.

Outdoors | 21:30 - 21:50

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