marți, 3 iunie 2008

Provocare. The Unexhibitable

...primită pe H-Museum

Dear Colleagues,

We are working on an issue of "Exhibitionist," the journal of the National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME), part of the American Association of Museums. The theme of the issue (Fall 2008) will be "The Unexhibitable."

In this issue we hope to publish some of your replies to the question below, along with other articles on a variety of topics some might consider "Unexhibitable." We are talking with museum colleagues from all over the world, and we'd like to ask you to add your voice to the discussion. We give a number of ideas below, just to get you thinking, but don't feel you have to discuss any or all; you may have other thoughts. It's up to you. We need your responses by June 15, 2008. 

No more than 200 words, please. Also please give name, and affiliation/organization if any, and country.

For any comments we publish, we will run article by you for review before printing.

Question:

Is there any idea or topic that you consider to be "Unexhibitable"? That is, incapable of being made into an engaging museum exhibition? If so, please say why and give an example(s). Or if you think there is nothing that cannot be exhibited, please also explain and give an example(s):

Some of the reasons people have already discussed are the following. You may talk about one or several of these, or provide your own example. Is there a topic or idea that is:

- too controversial or sensitive

- too violent

- too revolting or disgusting

- too abstract

- too ordinary or insignificant

- untimely - could/could not have been exhibited years ago, as opposed to now; or perhaps in a few years, but not now.

- constrained by place- my museum/country could/could not do it, as opposed to another museum/country

- unexhibitable for some other reason?

Please send responses to gretchenjennings@rcn.com and mmcconnell@mos.org 

We also encourage you to go to www.exhibitfiles.org where there is a blog on this subject. We will be collecting comments from the blog as well.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.

Gretchen Jennings

Editor

Exhibitionist  www.n-a-m-e.org

Washington, DC


Maureen McConnell

Senior Exhibit Developer

Museum of Science, Boston