Compelling Connections (Asynchronous - Online Only)
Theatricality and the Museum Space: In Limbo and The Pecking Order at Tate Exchange View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jacek Ludwig Scarso
This contribution focuses on two participatory works I developed at Tate Modern in association with Tate Exchange, The Cass, AVR London and Anise Gallery. These projects, respectively entitled In Limbo and The Pecking Order, consisted in large scale live performance and VR installations, reimagining the Tate Exchange floor as a theatrical scenario. Both projects enjoyed public success, averaging over 3000 visitors in the space of six days each (an annual record for Tate Exchange). Reflecting Tate Exchange’s ethos, the pieces champion the idea of demystifying the museum space through playful and spectacular encounters, whilst at the same time ensuring multiple levels of engagement, tailored both to the broader public and to academic and sector-specific audiences with the additional curated talks and activities. If the terms theatricality and spectacle have by some been seen as potentially negative, symptomatic of an experience economy that risks dumbing down the complexity of culture by appealing to our ever-decreasing attention spans, I refer to these case studies as evidence for a new way in which the theatrical can be used as a powerful, critical tool in the museum experience. Drawing on the ideas proposed by Claire Bishop (2012, 2013) as well as the broader concept of Relational Aesthetics by Nicholas Bourriaud, the paper argues that in the post-dramatic emphasis of the pieces, these move beyond the mere drama suggested by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore in their coining of the experience economy.
Social Inclusion in Museum Education: Where Are We and Where Should we Go? View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kata Springinzeisz
Social inclusion is a crucial concept in several disciplines, including Museum Studies. This paper describes the different theories of social inclusion, especially in connection with museum education. By reviewing the current relevant literature, this talk explores how inclusion problems are tackled in the field of museum education. Empirical articles written in three languages (English, Spanish and Portuguese) are examined. This study analyzes the conceptual bases and effectiveness of different types of inclusive museum programs reported in publications. The articles and programs are classified in four categories: learning, community engagement, training/internship, and health/therapy. The category of learning refers to museum programs in which visitors learn different skills. Community engagement includes programs in which the objective is to invite and engage diverse specific groups of visitors in museum spaces and activities. The training/internship category concerns programs focused on university training, internships, and museum personnel training. The category health/therapy includes articles analyzing programs directed to people with dementia or Alzheimer disease. On the basis of this review, I discuss the interconnectivity among the four categories, and the positive impacts of programs on the target groups. Finally, I propose an outline of social inclusion issues that require further research and museum programs.
Building Public Trust Through Collaboration: A Case Study from New Orleans, LA View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Megan Flattley, Miriam Taylor
This paper presents the community-engaged curatorial practices developed by the Newcomb Art Museum in the creation of the 2019 exhibition, Per(Sister): Incarcerated Women of Louisiana. Frequently hailed the “incarceration capital of the world,” the reach of the carceral state is wide particularly in the city of New Orleans. The Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University partnered with formerly incarcerated women and activists to create an exhibition centering the experiences of women with the carceral system in the state. Throughout the course of planning the exhibition, the collaboration between the museum and the directly impacted community members resulted in innovative artist contracts, exhibition design, public events, and, ultimately, an award-winning exhibition. This community-engaged practice was driven by the knowledge that the participating women were the authority on their experience. Per(Sister) created a space within a historically exclusionary institution for the voices and participation of a formerly-excluded community. Doing so required the active participation, knowledge, and generosity of that community. Public trust was built through the collaboration that followed from the honest embrace of the interdependence of the museum and the community. Per(Sister) can offer an example of the ethics of working also with communities that have experienced trauma and who are weary of exploitation from external forces. The continued commitment to the relationships established and respect for continuity led to the formation of a second exhibition, currently in production, that addressed the juvenile justice system and its impact on the community.
Listening to Whom, Listening to What: Investigating Museum Audio Guides in the Context of Intercultural Communication View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Silvia Pireddu
Audio guides are not innovative tools in museum communication, yet they are a popular device that may be developed into diverse formats ranging from podcasts to online teaching materials. The paper provides an overview of audio devices and their potential by focusing on how languages are used to provide multilingual content. In other words, audio contents from Italian institutions are discussed from a didactic and informative perspective. Samples of audio guides are analysed to highlight their writing style, sound environment, and content. Translation is also considered to show how multilingualism and the availability of materials in multiple languages are essential in museum communication as it addresses accessibility in intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is a symbolic, interpretive, transactional, contextual process in which people from different cultures create shared meanings. In this perspective, the production and sharing of audio materials where language instead of the visual is forefronted may bypass race or gender biases ‒ depending on the accent or variety used. We argue that the use of audio materials may enhance inclusion.
The Local Art Museum as an Actor and Active in the Local Community: A Case Study on the Experience of Value View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maja Rudloff
At a time when questions about the social value of museums are often reduced to visitor numbers, there has been surprisingly little focus on the overall value that the smaller art museums generate in their local communities. In Denmark, the majority of the dissemination of Danish art history is handled by the smaller and locally based art museums. Despite the fact that this type of museum dominates the Danish cultural landscape outside the biggest cities, studies that evaluate the value of smaller art museums, as it takes place in conjunction with art historical expertise across platforms and stakeholders, are extremely rare. The present study of Ribe Art Museum and its local stakeholders remedies this research gab. Building on empirical data from on-site observations and 22 interviews with different stakeholders spanning museum employees, volunteers, local visitors, representatives from trade and tourism, public cultural management and politicians, this paper analyses the strategy and function of a local museum as a visible and active player in the local community. In discussing the concept of “value” from the perspective of different stakeholders, the study demonstrates how a small, local and regional art museum can function as a driving force in the local environment, not only (but also) as a cultural focal point, but as a generator for tourism, trade, social wellbeing, and economic growth.
