Intolerance and hate towards transgender, non-binary and otherwise gender-nonconforming people in (western) society has increased in recent years. The spread of misinformation about the transgender...Show moreIntolerance and hate towards transgender, non-binary and otherwise gender-nonconforming people in (western) society has increased in recent years. The spread of misinformation about the transgender community and censorship of LGBTQIA+ topics in schools are two examples of how the political far-right promotes this trend, but they are also examples of things where museums can have a positive societal impact by engaging with the public about gender diversity. The aim of this thesis is to compile an overview of exhibitions which engage with the topic of gender diversity and discuss if museums are contributing enough to the ongoing societal debates about gender and transgender rights from the perspective of the wishes and needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. To compile the overview and to learn about how museums approach the topic of gender diversity web-based and literature research was used. To compare the findings of this research to how the LGBTQIA+ community actually wants to see museums engage with gender diversity a survey was constructed in Qualtrics and distributed through social media. The theoretical study of sexuality and gender (queer theory) is applied in a museum context to challenge established cis-gendered and heterosexual norms in a process known as queering. This queering can be performed in various ways, but the favored strategy in the exhibitions compiled and discussed in this thesis is temporary queer exhibition making with varying degrees of community engagement. The degree of community engagement seemed to be increasing over time, especially in art exhibitions, and there was also a difference between art and cultural/historical exhibitions in how they balance the representation/validation of transgender identities with educating the wider public on gender diversity, with art exhibitions focusing more on representation and cultural/historical exhibitions on education. However, there were few examples of cultural/historical exhibitions which engaged with the topic of gender diversity. The LGBTQIA+ community and its allies are clearly dissatisfied with the amount and quality of positive representation of transgender identities and experiences in museum, but there is a significant interest in seeing representation of diverse gender identities and historical aspects of gender covered in museums. While there are indeed examples of exhibitions which meet the needs and wishes of the LGBTQIA+ community, they are still relatively few and most of them are only temporary exhibitions. However, there does appear to be an increasing awareness among museum professionals of the need for the queering of museums at a fundamental level and these temporary exhibitions could be the start of this.Show less
This narrative that western painting skills and techniques greatly influenced Chinese export paintings has been long dominating worldwide scholarship. However, this narrative undermines the...Show moreThis narrative that western painting skills and techniques greatly influenced Chinese export paintings has been long dominating worldwide scholarship. However, this narrative undermines the identity of Chinese export paintings as the art created in the Chinese domestic context. Therefore, this thesis reconsidered the relationship between the Chinese export paintings and art in China. The two case studies in the thesis discussed how the two different genres of Chinese art, classical Chinese manual and Chinese religious art, inspired the export painters. It can be seen from that Chinese export paintings were significantly shaped by the ideas and practices common in Chinese art.Show less
The illicit art trade continues to flourish globally despite mitigative action by authorities worldwide. As such, agencies such as the museum have begun to contribute to the fight against illicit...Show moreThe illicit art trade continues to flourish globally despite mitigative action by authorities worldwide. As such, agencies such as the museum have begun to contribute to the fight against illicit art with novel strategies such as point of entry identification. Despite this, there are widespread accusations against museums, particularly in the United Kingdom, for harbouring large numbers of stolen art within their collections. In order to explore this, this thesis examines the contemporary interaction between the illicit art trade in the United Kingdom and British museums. This is done by analysing the acquisition of objects which lack provenance data from 1933-1945 in the collections of the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum alongside the museums' acquisition policies. A small contemporary interaction is found as well as statistically significant effects of mitigative legislation and changes in acquisition policies put in place in recent decades.Show less
For the public, underwater heritage parks amalgamate the thrill of sports diving with the educational enjoyment of a museum. Consequently, underwater heritage parks have been a popular medium to...Show moreFor the public, underwater heritage parks amalgamate the thrill of sports diving with the educational enjoyment of a museum. Consequently, underwater heritage parks have been a popular medium to present in-situ underwater cultural heritage (UCH) in countries, such as Australia, the UK, Finland, Sweden, Canada and the US. However, this method to present insitu UCH is not used in the Netherlands. Within the context of the Dutch government’s recent decision to ratify the Faro Convention (Council of Europe 2005) and the growing blue tourism economy and diving community within the country, this thesis assesses the effectiveness of underwater heritage parks and explores the plausibility of utilising this approach within the Netherlands. Through an analysis of literature and case studies pertaining to the global use of underwater heritage parks, this thesis first analyses the challenges and opportunities that underwater heritage parks present for heritage management and determines that the challenges can be mitigated. This makes underwater heritage parks an effective tool for heritage management. However, this also highlights a need to explore the challenges and opportunities that underwater heritage parks potentially bring nearby residents. Through an analysis of the case study of the Museum of Underwater Art, Australia, this thesis found that underwater heritage parks can bring societal, environmental, and economic benefits to the communities that they are located nearby. This can be achieved sustainably when mitigating the harmful impacts of heritage tourism through working with the ongoing consent of nearby residents, providing honest and positive experiences for tourists, and competitiveness cluster strategies. However, all of this can only be accomplished when the sustainability of the UCH resources of an underwater heritage park can be ensured. Through an analysis of case studies in Croatia, Sweden and Finland, this thesis determines that sustainable diver access can be achieved through protective methods of site protection, which use prohibitive equipment or create tour guides through commercial dive operators. However, sustainable access can also be achieved through admissive methods of site protection, which allow unrestricted access but protect UCH through community stewardship, legislation, or initiatives that have successfully changed attitudes towards UCH. However, changing attitudes towards UCH also necessitates reaching the non-diving community. This thesis explores how underwater heritage parks have accomplished this and through the case study of Fathom Five Marine Parks, Canada, states that a multi-faceted approach that provides a broad range of ways to interact with UCH is most effective. Having established the effectiveness of underwater heritage parks and the best methods to provide access to UCH and ensure the sustainability of the resource, this thesis then assesses where this approach could be utilised within the Netherlands. Through building on O’Brien and colleagues (2011, 87) matrices of activities that contradict cultural heritage conservation, based from Ehler and Douvere (2009, 58-59), this thesis found that underwater heritage parks could present in-situ UCH at Cuijk, Europoort, Grevelingen, Hellevoetsluis, IJsselmeer, Maasdriel, Oostvoornse Meer, and the Wadden Sea.Show less
In 2014 the Victoria and Albert Museum unveiled a new branch of curation – the Rapid Response Collection. Intended to exhibit modern art and design, it offers a far cry from the initial collection...Show moreIn 2014 the Victoria and Albert Museum unveiled a new branch of curation – the Rapid Response Collection. Intended to exhibit modern art and design, it offers a far cry from the initial collection of the museum, comprised largely from the 1851 Great Exhibition. The Rapid Response Collection prides itself on two key aspects – the first, the extent to which it offers a reflection of contemporary art and design. The second – the transparency of curation, with each and every artefact acquired also put on display. This research is based on Pratt’s concept of the Contact Zone, a theory which suggests that the donor and exhibitor of an object occupy different parts of a power structure, applying the theory to the exhibition as a whole, the objects independently, and the online profile of the exhibition. The next focal point is Appadurai’s Social Life of Things, which suggests that objects have biographies independent to human entities. This is substantiated using a range of objects from the collection. Further to this, the impact of the curator is considered with regards to how an exhibition is curated through analysis of the work of O’Neill. This is supported with reference to my interview with Corinna Gardner, curator of the Rapid Response Collection from Sandell’s perspective on the space of Social Justice in Museums. The final chapters focus on the status of the audience, considering first the way in which different groups who are often excluded from the narrative find a space in the Rapid Response Collection. The final chapter looks to the Social Media Profile of the collection, utilising Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to support this. Overall, I note various successes of the collection, especially the representation of groups who are often excluded from the narrative, and the promising Social Media profile of the collection. I consider the way in which various changes, such as a renewed Social Media campaign, may increase the overall access and reputation of the collection.Show less
On the 8th of December 2018 the Ephesos Museum reopened its exhibition spaces of the permanent collection in the Viennese Hofburg after being closed for a year. This research aims to compare this...Show moreOn the 8th of December 2018 the Ephesos Museum reopened its exhibition spaces of the permanent collection in the Viennese Hofburg after being closed for a year. This research aims to compare this new exhibition with the original exhibition of the museum four decades ago and investigate the influence archaeological research, political intentions, and national identity had on the composition of the collection, the opening, and display of the museum in 1978 as well as the reopened exhibition in 2018.Show less
The thesis focuses on the design and construction of the museum under museum director Frans Haks (1938-2006). It examines the reactions of the various participants in the project and on how the...Show moreThe thesis focuses on the design and construction of the museum under museum director Frans Haks (1938-2006). It examines the reactions of the various participants in the project and on how the museum was received before and after its construction among city residents, art critics, the city council, architects and the museum director. This research studies how the museum serves as a contact zone for the various participants, its collection and the building itself. Moreover, after completion how does the permanent collection reflect the exterior of the building? Does the building dominate the artwork collection of the museum?Show less
Over the past decade Japanese popular culture has become increasingly well-known, and Japan has attempted to actively promote this development through its nation branding program 'Cool Japan'. This...Show moreOver the past decade Japanese popular culture has become increasingly well-known, and Japan has attempted to actively promote this development through its nation branding program 'Cool Japan'. This thesis analyses whether Cool Japan can be considered a successful program in the Netherlands when it comes to exhibitions as a vehicle for Japanese soft power by looking at three exhibitions: Cool Japan (2017, National Museum of World Cultures), Kingdom of Characters (2014, Japanmuseum SieboldHuis), and Hello Kitty - Hello Holland (2011, Japanmuseum SieboldHuis). Three separate analyses cover to what extent Japanese institutions are involved with these exhibitions, how visitors experience the exhibition and whether they learn anything new at all, as well as the exhibitions' effect on Dutch consumerism of Japanese popular culture.Show less
Research master thesis | Arts and Culture (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis analyzes the rhetoric of the Van Gogh Museum and exposes its communicative strategies holistically. An extensive and multi-faceted analysis on the persuasive character of the Rietveld...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the rhetoric of the Van Gogh Museum and exposes its communicative strategies holistically. An extensive and multi-faceted analysis on the persuasive character of the Rietveld building, the Kurokawa wing, and modern media shows that the communicative strength of the Van Gogh Museum is situated in its awareness of different audiences, their varying needs, and plural museum experiences. In a museum landscape where collection-oriented purposes are increasingly shared with public-oriented functions, the only way through which the museum is able to exert and preserve its expertise is by catering to its audiences. Revealing the rhetorical strategies behind the VGM’s communication results in an awareness that the postmodern museum is capable of transforming its commercial activities into valuable dialogues, in which the visitor is treated as an equal, active, and indispensable participant. Commercial museological practices do not threaten the educative value of the museum but carry the potential to actively encourage inclusivity and accessibility. The VGM emits this message in all of its inherently communicative elements.Show less
Museum theatre is getting more important in the innovation of presenting collections and can be an asset to museums that use this way of transferring knowledge. In this thesis a connection is found...Show moreMuseum theatre is getting more important in the innovation of presenting collections and can be an asset to museums that use this way of transferring knowledge. In this thesis a connection is found between the role museum theatre has and the way knowledge is transferred. This is done in a literary study and a case study of the Archeon open air museum in Alphen aan de Rijn, which is focused on reconstructions. In the Archeon 20 to 40 re-enactors walk around every day to the give an extra dimension to the experience visitors have and to give extra information about what live was like. The actors, or live interpreters, spend time doing daily chores and crafting tools for the next task. This makes the history literally come to live, making all the information that pares with these chores graspable and fun for the visitors. The thesis consists of a literary study, a qualitative research on the live interpreters and a quantitative research on the visitors, giving insight in what museum theatre does to improve the way knowledge is transferred.Show less
In this thesis the Iron Age Italic armament subcollections of two Dutch museums have been investigated. These two museums are the Allard Pierson Museum (APM) in Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum van...Show moreIn this thesis the Iron Age Italic armament subcollections of two Dutch museums have been investigated. These two museums are the Allard Pierson Museum (APM) in Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (RMO) in Leiden. The goals of this thesis were to identify each object in the subcollections, analyse the information that came from this research, find out how both subcollections have emerged, discover the use both museums made of their subcollection and to find out what the position of each museum in the ongoing debates on the acquisition and display of unprovenanced antiquities is through the scope of these small subcollections. The results are that both subcollections emerged through relatively similar causes; a combination of coincidence, the supply of these objects on the art market and a somewhat failed acquisition focus. Each museums has used their subcollection differently; the APM always have had many objects on display, grouped together typologically, while the RMO took a small selection from their subcollection and displayed them in more culturally divided exhibitions. While exhibiting these objects both museums had put on display objects that were only barely researched, if they had been researched at all. All objects of both museums that have been acquired after 1970 were bought legally, although it can be argued that some of these acquisitions are not very ethically responsible. Based on the acquisition history of both museums they kept themselves to the ICOM Code of Ethics since the 1990s-2000s, while still displaying the objects without pre-1970 ownership history. Therefore they do not belong to the Renfrew-Brodie side nor to the Boardman-Cuno side of the unprovenanced antiquities debate. They are positioned between these two parties, siding with Refrew and Brodie on the acquisition part, but with Boardman and Cuno on the display of these objects. It must be stressed that because of the small sample it appeared that there were only antiquities with a pre-1970 ownership history in the RMO, while in previous research it was already concluded that the RMO does have unprovenanced antiquities bought after 1970 in its collection. Therefore it is suggested that for comparable future research a bigger sample should be used to avoid similar situations. The final conclusion of this thesis is that both museums have acquired objects with incomplete ownership histories, and put these objects on display having only very limited information on these objects to inform the visitors. Therefore it can be said that they were “Exhibiting the Unknown”.Show less
The last couple of years it has been evident that street art has become more widely accepted in the art world. This thesis seeks to explain how this acceptance of street art, leading to the...Show moreThe last couple of years it has been evident that street art has become more widely accepted in the art world. This thesis seeks to explain how this acceptance of street art, leading to the institutionalization of the art movement, has affected the experience of street art. The difference between street art in the outdoor context and the indoor context is discussed through this new development. Since the 80s the institutionalization has started with the professionalization of graffiti and eventually street art. Galleries initiated legal commissions which stimulated the artists to create artworks indoors but also reconsidered the definition of street art. It was only after the so-called Banksy Effect however, that the acceptance of street art in the art world was brought up. Since the 2000s this acceptance has changed the notion of street art with fundamental developments as a result. More institutions are concerned with street art and initiate street art exhibitions, some examples mentioned are Art in the Streets in the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, Street Art in the Tate Modern, City Lights in the Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art and the not yet opened Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art. The effects of the recontextualization within institutional spaces for the experience of street art is discussed through these examples. It is because of Banksy's popularity that these exhibitions were presented in the past, and his popularity today is still able to initiate exhibitions on his artworks. In 2016-2017 two exhibitions on Banksy were presented during the same time in the Dutch capital Amsterdam. Banksy: Laugh Now was exhibited by the Modern Contemporary Museum Amsterdam, an initiative by the two gallery owners Logchies and presented the most famous artworks made by Banksy. The travelling collection The Art of Banksy was exhibited in the Beurs van Berlage and was initiated and curated by his former agent Steve Lazarides. These two exhibitions and competitors each presented Banksy's artworks but had fundamental differences in their presentations. The experience of the artworks is what made the distinction between these two exhibitions. While Banksy: Laugh Now was more concerned with the amount of artworks and the presentation of the artworks within their institution, the exhibition The Art of Banksy focused on the experience of the recipients. Through these examples of street art exhibitions it has become clear that the institutionalization of street art has fundamental effects on the experience of street art. Because of this a reconsideration of the institution, in this case the museum space, is necessary to fully appreciate and exhibit street art works within the context of an institution without neglecting the experience of street art.Show less
