For the Moluccan community in The Netherlands representation and emancipation are important matters. This thesis examines how one of the most renowned Dutch ethnology museums, the Museum of...Show moreFor the Moluccan community in The Netherlands representation and emancipation are important matters. This thesis examines how one of the most renowned Dutch ethnology museums, the Museum of Ethnology, has represented the Moluccas and the Moluccan people in its exhibitions between 1995 and the present-day. It also zooms in on how the museum has engaged with the colonial history of its Moluccas collection. Lastly, this thesis shows to what degree it has involved the Moluccan community in the creation of its Moluccas exhibitions.Show less
The Tokyo National Museum is considered to be the oldest national museum in Japan, finding its origins in the Yushima Seidō exposition of 1872. As such, the various changes of the institution...Show moreThe Tokyo National Museum is considered to be the oldest national museum in Japan, finding its origins in the Yushima Seidō exposition of 1872. As such, the various changes of the institution throughout its history give an impression of the development of the Japanese concept of a museum. This Master thesis takes a closer look at several historical examples of traditional Japanese exposition practices, the advent of the modern museum in Japan, and various Western influences on Japanese culture during the 19th and 20th century. By presenting this overview, this thesis aims to present a better understanding of significant cultural differences between traditional methods of display in the West and in Japan. By observing the historical development of the Tokyo National Museum, as well as the more modern installations which were part of the exposition celebrating the museum’s 150th anniversary, the institution provides a case study illustrating the confluence of non-Western traditional display practices and the Western concept of a modern museum.Show less
Racism is a significant problem in modern societies. People of all, although mainly non-Western European cultures, are discriminated against on a daily basis, based on their skin colour, religion...Show moreRacism is a significant problem in modern societies. People of all, although mainly non-Western European cultures, are discriminated against on a daily basis, based on their skin colour, religion and other characteristics. This thesis aims to assess the suitability of the museum to counteract racism against people of African descent. Placing museum exhibition into the context of modern museology and social priorities it asks: How are the memories and legacies of the transatlantic slave trade as an example of sensitive heritage curated in museums in the Netherlands and Britain today, and how could this be used to counteract modern racism? In this context, sensitive heritage is that heritage which is embedded with conflicting emotions on different sides and should approached sensibly. The racism debate restricts itself to racist behaviour against people of African descent, because racism based on external features developed during the age of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Two exhibitions, Afterlives of slavery in the Netherlands, and the International Slavery Museum in Britain, have been subjected to analysis based on their chosen perspectives, the connection they made between past and present, and the extent to which they actively engage the visitor in the exhibition and beyond. The ISM has a broader geographical perspective, but is mainly Eurocentric. AoS is multiperspective in point of view, but lacks detail due to its small scale. Both exhibitions create a link between past and present, although the ISM focusses on the positive legacies, whereas AoS specifically addresses racism. Although both museums invite the visitor to leave their opinion, there is little other active engagement and there is no stimulation to take the dialogue outside the museum. Nonetheless, the analysis has shown that a museum, by its intrinsic subjectivity does have the potential to contribute to the understanding of the origins of racism and its modern consequences. This understanding, if taken outside the museum can contribute to the diminishing of racism.Show less
This thesis demonstrates the value of using everyday material culture in producing exhibition narratives. This is done by an in depth analysis of one particular case study, “Sour Sweet Bitter Spicy...Show moreThis thesis demonstrates the value of using everyday material culture in producing exhibition narratives. This is done by an in depth analysis of one particular case study, “Sour Sweet Bitter Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America” by the Museum of Chinese in America (NY). The exhibition aimed at representing the multiplicity of Chinese cuisine in the States, as well as the discussions regarding the definition of authenticity in cuisine and more generally culture. The thesis interprets food first as a frame to identity, an example of Derriderean parergon: food both shapes and is shaped by cultural identity. Statements by chefs and home cooks who were interviewed for the exhibition are analysed in order to support this perspective. In a second moment, the thesis considers the materiality of food as the element which enables the visitor to establish, through synaesthesia, an empathic connection with the stories narrated in the museum. Overall, this thesis aims at enhancing the power of material culture in creating exhibitions which combine the theoretical and abstract with the physical reality which we perceive through our senses and bear great impact on our lives and our perception of the world.Show less
In this day and age it is of vital importance for museums to be socially inclusive and relevant for their communities. The Haags Historisch Museum and Museum Rotterdam, two Dutch City Museums, are...Show moreIn this day and age it is of vital importance for museums to be socially inclusive and relevant for their communities. The Haags Historisch Museum and Museum Rotterdam, two Dutch City Museums, are actively concerned with the inclusive representation of ethnic minority communities. They exemplify current issues in the theoretical discourse, and what other museums deal with in their policies and practices. The policies and practices of both museums connect with their aims to be socially relevant and inclusive institutions. Their most common practices in accomplishing this involve exhibition-making, organising activities and community projects, collecting new heritage, and forming partnerships. The combination of a theoretical framework and the case-studies of the Haags Historisch Museum and Museum Rotterdam provide a specific insight on the connections that both museums make between exhibitions, representing ethnic minority communities, and the social and community relevance of museums. Their approaches show both similarities and differences.Show less
