No subject
Wed May 5 12:06:27 EST 2010
- Previous message: No subject
- Next message: [can-talk] Keepsakes and Mementos: Collections Council of Australia
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]
<BR> "Her [sic] expectation that history exhibitions should/would have a = clear narrative is of course at odds with the current curatorial fashion = to mute the authorial voice in favour of encouraging visitors to make = their own interpretations. Ironically a sort of return to long-standing = art museum practice. The latter was much-scorned when I was first = working in museums, but after working on many exhibitions I came to = appreciate it more. The difficulty with exhibition narratives is that = the artefacts often become the footnotes rather than the subject matter. = A very tricky balancing act." <BR> <BR> I think Charles has helpfully begun to unpack some of the nagging doubt = I had in reading the article. Perhaps his insight also sheds light = on the comments about the artefact and its poetry.. if someone else = wants to pick that up that would be good. Particularly the issue = of trophyism. <BR> <BR> The question that arose for me was: how much is this about the = 'fashion of the times' in terms of practice and how much of it is = changed expectations and different expectations of different generations = as they experience museums? <BR> <BR> I was struck by Lohrey's examining what she found with her own = experiences (childhood and present) and expectations (creating her own = lens) and then using that same lens (her own) in referencing her = nephew's experience at the AWMM and her observations of the school boys = at Melbourne Museum. While I appreciate the observation and the = questioning about how much these children drew from the experience as = constructive and useful, I'm inclined to ask next: what did - they the = boys - learn, what did - they - think or make sense of, what do - they - = expect. I'm not expert on museum visitor experience but I do know = that my experience, needs and expectations of museums has changed = radically from when I first visited 35 years = ago. <BR> <BR> So I see Lohrey's criticism as useful in that it raises issues of = changing museological and curatorial practices and what those changes = offer and what gets lost and what happens when it gets mixed up. = Possibly that the gear changing between exhibition design practices; the = old mixed in with new and the experimental does seem jumbled.<BR> <BR> Further comment welcomed.<BR> <BR> Ingrid <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> -----Original Message-----<BR> From: can-talk-bounces at collectionsaustralia.net.au on behalf of Mason, = Ingrid<BR> Sent: Thu 6/10/2010 12:26 PM<BR> To: can-talk at collectionsaustralia.net.au<BR> Subject: [can-talk] June 2010 Monthly article on Australian Museums<BR> <BR> Hi there,<BR> <BR> Sarah and I were wondering how many people have had a look at the<BR> article 'The Absent Heart' by Amanda Lohrey in June 2010 issue of = the<BR> Monthly? While I'm confronted by the critical nature of the = article at<BR> the same time I welcome the opportunity to debate these issues. = Does<BR> anyone have any views to share or comments to make? We're = interested<BR> your thoughts as on museum practice in relation to the issues raised = by<BR> Amanda Lohrey.<BR> <BR> Some of the issues raised:<BR> <BR> - designing new exhibitions and spaces in museums<BR> <BR> "... a broader museum culture in Australia that tends toward = the<BR> lacklustre and the disjointed. So much exhibition design is = pedestrian,<BR> or worse, confused and at times chaotic." (p46)<BR> <BR> "how to manage a large, undifferentiated space now that the old = model of<BR> museum 'rooms' is out of fashion" (p48)<BR> <BR> - sense-making in a museum context<BR> <BR> "...a default position in Australian, namely an abdication of = the<BR> responsibility of telling any story at all, a failure of nerve that = is<BR> stifled by political anxieties or an inability to imaginatively<BR> encompass the passions of historical debate". (p50)<BR> <BR> - museum artefacts as trophies<BR> <BR> "..how to put an end to trophyism. Until their displays of = social<BR> history are more imaginatively conceived, our major museums will = remain<BR> lacklustre..." (p51)<BR> <BR> Ingrid Mason<BR> National Project Manager<BR> Collections Australia Network<BR> w. <A = HREF=3D"http://www.collectionsaustralia.net">http://www.collectionsaustra= lia.net</A><BR> <<A = HREF=3D"http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/">http://www.collectionsaustr= alia.net/</A>> <BR> b. <A = HREF=3D"http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/publisher/outreach/">http://w= ww.collectionsaustralia.net/publisher/outreach/</A><BR> m. P O Box K346, Haymarket, NSW 1238, Australia<BR> e. ingrid.mason at collectionsaustralia.net<BR> <<A = HREF=3D"mailto:ingrid.mason at collectionsaustralia.net">mailto:ingrid.mason= @collectionsaustralia.net</A>> <BR> p. +61-2-9217 0347<BR> f. +61-2-9217 0333<BR> <BR> I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land that I work and = live<BR> on as the spiritual and inherited lands of the Gadigal people of the<BR> Eora Nation and their relations.<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------<BR> This email and attachments are for the use of the intended recipient(s) = only and may contain confidential or legally privileged information or = material that is copyright of Powerhouse Museum or a third party. If you = have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately = and then delete it. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not = use, disclose or distribute this e-mail without the author's prior = permission. Any views expressed in this message and attachments are = those of the individual sender and the Powerhouse Museum accepts no = liability for the content of this message.<BR> <BR> <BR> </FONT> </P> </BODY> </HTML> ------_=_NextPart_001_01CB0915.220E7667-- |
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]