Ethical debate: exhibitions
Recent temporary exhibitions have drawn heavily on popular and celebrity culture. Are we becoming too market driven or can museums legitimately support these themes?
Museums have always responded to contemporary issues. The Dorset
County Museum was established in 1846 to save the geology, wildlife
and history of a county under threat from the developing railway network.
During the latter half of the 19th century, the museum acquired a large number of exhibits and displayed them in a purpose-built gallery inspired by the Great Exhibition of 1851. At the time, this was considered to be the height of fashion.
The gallery is now known as our Victorian Hall, and recently housed an
exhibition of football shirts. The shirts attracted the best audiences we have had for years, including many first-time visitors. It is important for modern museums to grapple with contemporary issues, which in itself, is very much in the tradition of our forefathers.
Judy Lindsay, director, Dorset County Museum, Dorchester
Who decides that James Stuart is better than Kylie? Hogarth better than the Turner Prize? Snobs. Everyone else enjoys a bit of one and a dollop of the other. And so should our exhibitions.
Responding to trends shouldn’t be sniffed at. Popular culture engages
audiences with things they recognise, celebrates modern life and has a
high relevance to current audiences. Museums also need to expand their collections with contemporary things.
Popular cultures sells. Museums can make lots of money and attract lots of visitors. Lord of the Rings brought many new visitors and repeat visits to the Science Museum. In these competitive times, only a fool buries their head in the high-brow sand.
Alex Gaffikin, interpretation developer, Natural History Museum
The Museums Association’s code of ethics urges museums to ‘enable
people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment’. There are those in the professional community who may not wish to recognise that, for some, Kylie’s costumes are as much a source of wonder and enjoyment as Egyptian treasures or a Rembrandt.
Museums have always striven to mould contemporary taste. An exhibition of celebrity culture can encourage debate and thought, look at the manufacturing techniques of a costume, or examine the role of celebrities in popular culture as we seek to engage with multiple audiences.
None of us wants to spend time planning exhibitions that no one visits.
But being driven by the market into creating crowd-pleasing exhibitions is not the role of the museum.
Emily Davis, collections review officer, National Army Museum
Museums have always responded to contemporary issues. The Dorset
County Museum was established in 1846 to save the geology, wildlife
and history of a county under threat from the developing railway network.
During the latter half of the 19th century, the museum acquired a large number of exhibits and displayed them in a purpose-built gallery inspired by the Great Exhibition of 1851. At the time, this was considered to be the height of fashion.
The gallery is now known as our Victorian Hall, and recently housed an
exhibition of football shirts. The shirts attracted the best audiences we have had for years, including many first-time visitors. It is important for modern museums to grapple with contemporary issues, which in itself, is very much in the tradition of our forefathers.
Judy Lindsay, director, Dorset County Museum, Dorchester
Who decides that James Stuart is better than Kylie? Hogarth better than the Turner Prize? Snobs. Everyone else enjoys a bit of one and a dollop of the other. And so should our exhibitions.
Responding to trends shouldn’t be sniffed at. Popular culture engages
audiences with things they recognise, celebrates modern life and has a
high relevance to current audiences. Museums also need to expand their collections with contemporary things.
Popular cultures sells. Museums can make lots of money and attract lots of visitors. Lord of the Rings brought many new visitors and repeat visits to the Science Museum. In these competitive times, only a fool buries their head in the high-brow sand.
Alex Gaffikin, interpretation developer, Natural History Museum
The Museums Association’s code of ethics urges museums to ‘enable
people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment’. There are those in the professional community who may not wish to recognise that, for some, Kylie’s costumes are as much a source of wonder and enjoyment as Egyptian treasures or a Rembrandt.
Museums have always striven to mould contemporary taste. An exhibition of celebrity culture can encourage debate and thought, look at the manufacturing techniques of a costume, or examine the role of celebrities in popular culture as we seek to engage with multiple audiences.
None of us wants to spend time planning exhibitions that no one visits.
But being driven by the market into creating crowd-pleasing exhibitions is not the role of the museum.
Emily Davis, collections review officer, National Army Museum
