Curating the Homecoming: ‘Java Man’ Exhibitions at the National Museum of Indonesia

Pipit Meilinda

This paper describes the journey of science communication at the National Museum of Indonesia in welcoming the repatriation of the Dubois Collection (including the ‘Java Man’ fossil) in 2025. The main focus of the paper is to illustrate the planning, design, and installation process of the permanent exhibition Early History, which was launched in late 2025. This process is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the previous temporary exhibition 130 Years After Pithecanthropus erectus (2024). Visitor survey data (n = 116) from the 2024 exhibition indicated high learning value (average score 4.31/5) and emotional engagement, but also revealed significant challenges related to visitor management and physical comfort. These findings, along with the new context surrounding the repatriation of the Dubois Collection, form the primary basis for planning the 2025 exhibition. We describe how the curatorial process was conducted, from evaluating the shortcomings of the previous exhibition, to designing a new approach that combines elements of education and entertainment (edutainment) with a more inclusive narrative of colonial history, to presenting diverse perspectives in preparing the public to welcome the repatriated historical collection to their homeland, and to highlighting the challenges faced. This case study offers reflections for other museums on how evaluation and current issues can shape the process of creating more adaptive exhibitions, balancing aesthetics, public understanding, and ethical storytelling in prehistoric collections.