Seventeenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum

Abstract

This paper offers a detailed exploration the Coming Out Museum (COME) project, a collaborative initiative between the Ethnographic Museum of Istria and the LGBTIQ+ association Process. COME was created in the first place as a virtual platform, focused on collecting, curating and presenting personal coming out narratives, related objects and artworks from the LGBTIQ+ community. This platform serves as a tool for preserving memory, promoting acceptance within the community, educating, and shaping a more inclusive society. It is also a bridge that connects the virtual space of the coming out collection with in-person encounters aimed to materialize in different physical spaces. The discussion aims to highlight the project’s transformative potential in contributing to the empowerment of the LGBTIQ+ community. More, it allows museums to redefine and question their structured museum practices, their mission and vision, and their role in the surrounding community. Consequentially, as we navigate the intersection of museum curation and community collaboration, a fundamental question emerges: How can joint initiatives like the Coming Out Museum project move beyond basic representation, i.e., to redefine the standards for inclusive representation in both virtual and physical museum spaces, in theory and practice, and contribute to a more accepting and inclusive society at large?