One core heritage of colonial contacts with “traditional” African society is the dichotomy between the “ugly” and the “beautiful”, at the intersection of which lies exotism. Imposed and refracted projections and representations of what Luba ideals of beauty are, in general, conflict with the complex meaning of coiffures in Luba traditions. The focus on Luba coiffures in current scholarship highlights physical features that amplify their exotic appeal, generating both the economic value of Luba arts and academic curiosity. From a Luba perspective, female coiffures put beauty at the visible and invisible crossroads. This explains the fluidity of specific hairstyles, which transcend the female body and are replicated on female-shaped objects. The tangible and intangible heritage values of Luba coiffures, retrieved from Luba objects at GLAM institutions or within Luba communities, are invaluable. Approaching Luba coiffures as a tangible and intangible heritage is a stepping stone to appraising their authenticity and integrity. Given the disappearance of “traditional” coiffure making and wearing in "modern" Luba societies, these heritages are both increasingly and dramatically at risk.

Interested in the biopolitics of “traditional” coiffures as a case study of heritage authenticity and integrity, a granular analysis of female hairstyles reveals female archeologies of power and powerlessness within Luba societies. These archeologies shape and define complex identities and worldviews, beyond mere assumptions of simplistic and/or exotic “beauties”. These Luba-coiffure-centered archeologies are informed by an attempt to decipher codes which are context-specific (time and space), symbolic, functional, and structural. These codes are languages that bridge the hellenic boundaries between the visible and the invisible. They conceal a system of norms and practices that must be articulated for knowledge production. Investigating the meanings of female Luba coiffures through 3D analysis can enhance their authenticity and integrity through visual storytelling and narratives. This approach will “uncover” and “rediscover” the wealth and breadth of heritage female Luba material cultures GLAM institutions preserve for both African generations and global civilization. While still concealed at GLAM institutions because of the lack of community-centered expertise and experiences, my presentation will address the authentic and integral values of Luba female coiffures from an interdisciplinary perspective, focusing on the following questions: What makes coiffures an expression of Luba worldviews and identity? How can one read female Luba coiffures as a cultural text and context? Does approaching coiffures as texts and contexts reveal aspects of a female Luba archeology of power and powerlessness?

This paper proposes a multidisciplinary investigation into the application of embodied media technologies—including 3D scanning, motion capture, and real-time animation— to generate rich datasets that can record, preserve and transmit the intangible cultural heritage of puppetry performance.

Using puppets from the Norman Hetherington Collection, a recent acquisition to the National Museum of Australia, the Transmission Project has engaged puppeteers from the Hetherington family- Rebecca and Thomas Hetherington-Welch to explore the intergenerational knowledge passed through the family. The project also explores the relationships and the transmission of performing knowledge which has been learned through the body of the performer and the symbiotic relationship between puppeteers and their puppets. Central to this study is the concept of embodied knowledge: the intangible skills, gestures, and traditions transmitted intergenerationally through physical practice. This knowledge, which includes tacit techniques learned by performers through generations, risks being lost without innovative preservation strategies.

The project employs advanced capture technologies such as 3D photogrammetry, motion capture, and biomechanical analysis to generate archival-quality datasets. These datasets form “digital twins” of puppets and performances, integrating spatial data, annotated motion sequences, and audiovisual documentation, including interviews and participatory engagements with the Hetherington family.

This sustainable approach aims to enhance the Museum’s documentation, support ethical knowledge transfer, and ensure long-term preservation. By merging embodied performance theory with advanced digitisation, the research aims to create a sustainable framework for museums to document and transmit intangible performance heritage. Creating archival quality datasets also enables the re-use of this data for many potential, future outputs such as a creating new immersive experiences.