This thesis examines the role architecture has on learning in the “post-museum”. This is done through the analysis of several contemporary museums mainly located in the Western Europe. The...Show moreThis thesis examines the role architecture has on learning in the “post-museum”. This is done through the analysis of several contemporary museums mainly located in the Western Europe. The constructivist theory of education, which is employed to conceptualise learning in the “postmuseum”, recognises the spatial, embodied and contextual nature of meaning making. However, the relationship between learning and museum architecture still lacks attention. This thesis looks not only at the spatial organisation and materiality of museum buildings. It also sees architecture as a Bourdieusian “field of practice”, riddled with various tensions, and as a set of practices that range from design to appropriation. By emphasising the ways museum buildings can serve the needs of their users, the scope of this research is extended beyond the formal and stylistic developments in architecture. This thesis reveals how architecture can create physically and psychologically comfortable museum environment necessary for meaning making. Also, the museum public is understood as diverse and employing various modes of learning. So, the input architecture has in generating a socially and culturally inclusive as well as physically and mentally accessible museum space is of major importance. Museum buildings should also reflect the local realities, because this proves to support learning as a part of identity construction. Furthermore, architecture can create rich sensory experiences that affect visitors’ emotional responses and thus support museological narratives. These narratives are often communicated through theatrical environments that prompt embodied and performative learning. However, theatricality in architecture can also be overwhelming and thus weaken or even override the educational message. This poses a real risk as museums have ethical responsibility towards the society to communicate certain values and bodies of knowledge. Finally, this thesis also suggests that the research should not be limited to museum buildings. It could be extended to urban and natural museum settings in order to evaluate the impact of the physical environment on a bigger scale.Show less
This thesis develops a theoretical framework for how the concepts of affect and participation might enhance our understanding of bioart – an emerging art movement in which artists engage with tools...Show moreThis thesis develops a theoretical framework for how the concepts of affect and participation might enhance our understanding of bioart – an emerging art movement in which artists engage with tools and materials on offer via biotechnology. Drawing principally on a Deleuzian conceptualization of affect, I first explore how it allows us to understand bioart experiences as an oscillation between a sense of activity and a sense of passivity in which everyone can affect and simultaneously be affected by another body. Secondly, through an engagement with mutaFelch – a bioart performance in which Zaretsky deploys a DIY adaptation of gene gun technology in order to create living paint, I follow Sedgwick’s and Tomkin’s plea to examine affect as a manifold concept, consisting of different and often overflowing gradations (such as disgust, eroticism, and fear) in order to gain insight into the specific visceral mechanisms underlying any interaction between viewer, artist, and artificially constructed life. And yet, even though affect draws attention to a viewer’s involvement in a work, affect does not suggest issues of power that participation – both in theory and in practice – inevitably brings forward. Thus, in order to reflect upon power issues inherent in every participatory practice, I expand my affective reading of bioart by incorporating the concept of participation. I conclude that by incorporating both the intimate realm of bodily experience and a critical, theoretical approach that understands the power structure intrinsic in technology, participation enhances and augments our understanding of biotechnologies.Show less
Onzekere tijden, veroorzaakt door de wereldwijde kredietcrisis die uitbrak in 2008 en daardoor verschuivende motieven voor het verantwoorden door bedrijven van hun kunstcollecties, zorgen ervoor...Show moreOnzekere tijden, veroorzaakt door de wereldwijde kredietcrisis die uitbrak in 2008 en daardoor verschuivende motieven voor het verantwoorden door bedrijven van hun kunstcollecties, zorgen ervoor dat deze collecties aan veranderingen onderhevig zijn en onderwerp voor debat kunnen bieden. De crisis had impact op veel bedrijven, waarbij vooral de reputatie van de commerciele banken het moest bekopen. Hierdoor zijn mogelijke motieven, doelen en verantwoordingen voor de kunstcollecties herzien. Door inzicht te bieden in bestaande motieven, doelen en verantwoordingen voor bedrijfscollecties en de ontwikkelingen daarvan door de jaren heen, beoog ik met mijn onderzoek een uitvoerig beeld te schetsen van kunstcollecties van Nederlandse banken en de wijze waarop die zich vandaag de dag (moeten) verantwoorden.Show less
Jeanette May attempted to create art for a female audience with her Easy on the Eyes series. The techniques May used to establish this in her photographs are examined in this thesis through...Show moreJeanette May attempted to create art for a female audience with her Easy on the Eyes series. The techniques May used to establish this in her photographs are examined in this thesis through discussions of the posing/acting binary, the spectator object relation and the combination of image and text.Show less
The present dissertation lays between two field of studies, audience research and museum education. It takes into account those educational programs and activities developed by modern and...Show moreThe present dissertation lays between two field of studies, audience research and museum education. It takes into account those educational programs and activities developed by modern and contemporary art museums to attract an audience between the age of 19 and 35. The educational aspects of museum practice are recently undertaking profound changes. Therefore, the first part of this thesis analyses the literature regarding the changing role of museum education in the last decades. The progressive interaction between education and curatorial practice is discussed together with the appearance of innovative learning theories applied to educational programs. Moreover, the discussion of the diversities between formal and informal education underlines the fundamental role of museum in supporting lifelong learning. The second chapter focuses on the analysis of the audience. Through statistics and surveys the present thesis outlines the necessity of attracting young adults aged between 19 and 35 years old. The specificities of this target are discussed in order to understand their precise needs. Hence, it is stressed that a diverse approach towards this generation is necessary to support and enhance their potential interest in contemporary art museums. Customized activities and educational programs could possibly increase their presence in museological institutions. The third chapter examines three case studies, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, The Gemeentemuseum in The Hague and the van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. The comparative analysis of these institutions aims to comprehend whether the recent development of learning theories are implemented in the educational offer of museums. Their different approaches delineate whether there is a scarcity of programs especially developed for the target group in analysis. Eventually, possible appropriate strategies of engagement for young museumgoers are proposed as a valuable solutions for their lack of participation in contemporary art museums.Show less
How do Amsterdam Museums deal with their diverse surroundings? This is the main question of this thesis which investigates the tolerant and multicultural history of Amsterdam and the situation of...Show moreHow do Amsterdam Museums deal with their diverse surroundings? This is the main question of this thesis which investigates the tolerant and multicultural history of Amsterdam and the situation of the Amsterdam Museum specifically. It also answers the question why multiculturalism is a current issue: due to changes in museum studies and the cultural policy of the Netherlands.Show less
This Thesis aims to explain the complete difference of artistic approach of the Stedelijk Museum in only one decade time and the reception of modern French sculpture in the Netherlands in general....Show moreThis Thesis aims to explain the complete difference of artistic approach of the Stedelijk Museum in only one decade time and the reception of modern French sculpture in the Netherlands in general. The period studied was between 1899 and 1960.Show less
Looking at the Green Bridge monumental sculptures as the objects that represent a certain historical ‘truth’, there has been so much concentration on the past and how artefacts disclose and...Show moreLooking at the Green Bridge monumental sculptures as the objects that represent a certain historical ‘truth’, there has been so much concentration on the past and how artefacts disclose and manifest the essence of that past, that it neglects important issues on how artefacts interact with a present and what they signify in present conditions. The problem of the Green Bridge is complicated precisely because of what these four monuments represent in current political and cultural situation. The issue goes way beyond a ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ memory line of reasoning as many people argue that the sculptures again (mainly because of the recent Imperialist-nature of Russian politics in Ukraine) have become the signifiers of oppression, (even after 25 years of Lithuanian independence) and are offensive to the residents of the city, devaluating ‘truthful’ Lithuanian identity and its values. Thus, this research, exploring the Socialist Realist monumental position in Post-Socialist society and concentrating on the Green Bridge sculptural ensemble in Vilnius, is divided into three ‘colourful’ chapters. The first one, entitled ‘Green.’, shortly reviews the historical background of the bridge giving an overview of its construction and development. The second, entitled ‘Red!’, examines the monuments in their relation to Lithuania’s history and complicated political aspects, indicating how there are many levels of interpretation while analysing art objects as time-factored symbols of an entire culture. This chapter contains the analysis of Socialist Realist style, symbols and iconography of the sculptures. It also reflects on possible benefits of adding a Post-colonial discourse to the subject, looks closer into Lithuanian Post-Socialist identity and traumatic collective memory while also indicating the dangers of a narrow two-sided ‘preserve vs. remove’ polemics escalated by Lithuanian media. Chapter ‘Pink?’ aims to propose a wider-raging interdisciplinary approach to political art emphasizing the importance of contemporary artistic practices and their abilities of meaning transformation in the former USSR countries. Moreover, a semiotic approach and the examples of Lithuanian artists in relation to the subject of memory give the opportunity to debate on alternative ways of dealing with the heritage of a totalitarian regime in a present day Post-socialist public spaces. Finally, the conclusion ‘Plato’s Ideal City: Political Decisions & Objectivity in Post-Soviet Vilnius’ examines the verdict made by the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture and its political aspects also questioning the possibility of objectivity of the solution for the indicated problem.Show less
Pieter van der Kloet (1713-1785) was eigenaar van de tegelfabriek d’Oude Prins in de Anjeliersstraat in Amsterdam. Van zijn hand zijn een volledig gesigneerde en twee gemonogrammeerde platen bekend...Show morePieter van der Kloet (1713-1785) was eigenaar van de tegelfabriek d’Oude Prins in de Anjeliersstraat in Amsterdam. Van zijn hand zijn een volledig gesigneerde en twee gemonogrammeerde platen bekend. In deze scriptie is de vraag onderzocht of Pieter van der Kloet meer voorwerpen heeft beschilderd en of hij ook eerste schilder in zijn eigen fabriek is geweest. Pieter van der Kloet (1713-1785) was owner of the tile factory ‘d’Oude Prins (The Old Prince) In the Anjeliersstraat in Amsterdam. A fully signed plaque and two monogrammed ones are known by his hand. In this thesis the question is raised whether Pieter van der Kloet painted more faience in his own tile factory and if he was the first painter.Show less
De Nederlandse keramist Bert Nienhuis (Groningen 1873 – Amsterdam 1960) liet een veelzijdig oeuvre na. Het toont de ontwikkeling die hij doormaakte: van decoratie en ornament in het platte vlak...Show moreDe Nederlandse keramist Bert Nienhuis (Groningen 1873 – Amsterdam 1960) liet een veelzijdig oeuvre na. Het toont de ontwikkeling die hij doormaakte: van decoratie en ornament in het platte vlak naar driedimensionale uitwerkingen in materiaal, vorm en kleur, van fabrieksmatige productie naar autonome kunstobjecten, van seriewerk naar unica van eigen hand. Dit onderzoek richt zich op de jaren die Nienhuis in de Duitse stad Hagen woonde en werkte. Hier gaf Nienhuis een cruciale wending aan zijn loopbaan - en daarmee aan de keramiekkunst in Nederland. Over deze Duitse periode is niet veel bekend. Dit onderzoek richt zich daarom specifiek op deze zes jaren, om inzicht te krijgen in mogelijke invloeden die richting gaven aan Nienhuis’ ontwikkeling. Op welke manier heeft de Hagener Impuls doorgewerkt in het leven en werk van Nienhuis? Hoe kwam hij tot de beslissing om zijn bestaan in Nederland op te geven voor een toekomst in Duitsland? Kon hij in Hagen zijn ideeën en plannen uitvoeren? Welke rol heeft deze periode gespeeld in zijn ontwikkeling van sierkunstenaar tot autonome kunstkeramist?Show less
This thesis offers an analysis of several contemporary artworks that address the role of imagery on the Internet, which increasingly constitutes our worldview. Although the key role of the Internet...Show moreThis thesis offers an analysis of several contemporary artworks that address the role of imagery on the Internet, which increasingly constitutes our worldview. Although the key role of the Internet in processes of interculturalization is often put forward, recent changes in the functioning of our browsers, search engines and our use of social media do not allow for worldviews to be expanded or enriched by the Internet. Rather, mechanisms such as ‘personalization’, the use of social media as multimedia browsers, and commercial governing hubs of images are likely to result in a reaffirmation of worldviews. Online visual culture plays a key role within these mechanisms. With different strategies and media, the works and online interventions discussed in this thesis elucidate important aspects of the way information and visual imagery on the Internet is mediated and disseminated.Show less
Over the last thirty years, the globalization debate within the (contemporary) art discourse has gained and generated a lot of attention. However, in 2015, a real change has yet to happen. In this...Show moreOver the last thirty years, the globalization debate within the (contemporary) art discourse has gained and generated a lot of attention. However, in 2015, a real change has yet to happen. In this thesis I will lay out the debate, as well as look at how the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and the Tropenmuseum relate themselves to not only the discussion of globalization, but also to contemporary art with a global outlook (e.g. art from all over the world, as well as art that critically looks at the discussion of 'non-Western' art within art history). Even though the debate is going on for thirty years, the same questions are being asked, but what has really changed?Show less
Hedendaagse fotograaf Joel Peter Witkin onderscheidt zich van zijn tijdgenoten door het portretteren van dode vrouwenlichamen in een gecreëerde surreële en ideologische wereld. Zijn zwart-wit...Show moreHedendaagse fotograaf Joel Peter Witkin onderscheidt zich van zijn tijdgenoten door het portretteren van dode vrouwenlichamen in een gecreëerde surreële en ideologische wereld. Zijn zwart-wit beelden van levenloze vrouwen, gepositioneerd en gestut als voertuigen van erotische verlangen zijn tegelijkertijd choquerend en uitdagend. Witkins doel is om grenzen te overschrijden, waardoor het profane wordt ontsloten en de mogelijkheid zich aandient om seksuele taboes te doorbreken. Dit onderzoek richt zich hoofdzakelijk op de manier waarop deze vrouwenlichamen zijn geportretteerd en hoe seksueel verlangen in relatie tot de dood een hernieuwde betekenis krijgt binnen de traditie van de post mortem fotografie. Witkin bewijst dat Freuds theorie over de driften en instincten van de mens (Eros en Thanatos) nog steeds toepasbaar is op de kunsten en dat de kunsthistorische traditie van het portretteren van de vrouw als weerloos, passief slachtoffer en fetisjistisch object een geschikt onderwerp is om seksuele taboes en vrouwenonderdrukking ter discussie te stellen. In dit onderzoek worden literaire en kunsthistorische voorbeelden gebruikt ter illustratie om Witkins perverse en gewelddadige beelden te analyseren en te plaatsen binnen een feministisch kader.Show less
