Museums within Southeast Asia and internationally have played a key role in the shaping and dissemination of archaeological and art historic knowledge of the region. They do this through the objects they display, the methods of exhibition that they employ, and the narratives that they tell. In doing so they play a leading part in shaping both academic and public perceptions of Southeast Asia’s past.

This panel provides a forum to discuss approaches to Southeast Asian museology and curating. It invites papers that critically analyse key issues, challenges, and opportunities in this regard. These can include but are not limited to; museums and the display of Hindu and Buddhist art, curating sacred objects, museums and colonialism, museums and the role of the nation state, museums and outreach, the role of local communities, museums and collection histories, provenance research, object biographies, and so forth. In doing so, the panel seeks to tease out key characteristics and issues that are pertinent today in Southeast Asian museology in the hope that this will assist in developing the field further.