Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Informed by James Clifford’s conceptualization of museums as “contact zones,” this paper argues that heritage objects, which bear witness to a complex web of histories, encounters, and dissenting meanings, should be understood in a similar light. Using the Curator’s Choice Case I co-designed at the Yale Peabody Museum in 2015–2016 as my case study, I contend that a dialogical approach to heritage, where meanings are negotiated within a shared space of social and cultural interaction, better reflects the constructed, situated nature of heritage. This exhibit, which focused on heritage at risk in Syria, contextualized ancient Syrian objects by viewing them through multiple lenses of interpretation. These included archaeologists who studied the objects, students who viewed them as symbols of relationships between academic bodies and local communities, and Syrians living in the USA who used the exhibit as a medium through which to speak of their experiences of the Syrian war. To more clearly mark the multivalent nature of heritage, I argue that museums need to be increasingly inclusive in their collaboration with stakeholders. Using Lynch and Alberti’s concept of “discensus,” I conclude that even if interpretations disagree, these contested perspectives invite visitors into further dialogue. In this way, objects become dynamic think pieces, rather than static, linear communicators of knowledge, thus better engaging visitors of what is at stake in the preservation of such objects.