In this illustrated lecture, Dr Omar Kholeif situates their experience within the broader practice of building collections and exhibitions of the African and Asian diaspora. Programmed to coincide with Monira Al Qadiri’s exhibition at Arken Art Museum, the Egyptian-born, British author, curator, artist and museum director argues for a manifesto towards a practice of ‘civic collecting’, a form of ‘world building’ that enables an imaginative space of narration for diasporic voices. Kholeif emphasizes the importance of objects as emblems of place and belonging, markers that help prevent us from becoming lost, and reflects on how collections can engender forms of selfhood and a sense of home.