The Open Museum Journal, http://amol.org.au/omj Australia's only
peer-reviewed online museum journal, invites submissions for its fourth
edition on the theme 'Taboo'. Submissions close 30 April 2001. Please read
the call for papers below and see the online contribution guidelines at:
http://amol.org.au/craft/omjournal/contribute.asp. For further information
contact the guest editor, Megan Hicks tel +61 2 9217 0254 or via email:
[log in to unmask], or the journal editor Andrea Witcomb tel +61 8 9266 4066
or via e-mail at [log in to unmask]

                                     omj4: TABOO
                 ---------------CALL FOR PAPERS-------------------
Taboo - the forbidden, the unmentionable. How can museums best deal with
subjects that are regarded as taboo? What is the point of dealing with such
subjects at all? Is there a benefit to the community or to museums
themselves?

Exhibitions in recent years have covered sex and sexuality; the glorious and
inglorious dead; bodies, body mutilation and bodily functions. There are
many reasons for choosing to mount such exhibitions. They can, for instance,
provide museums with opportunities to link art, history and science; or to
collaborate with particular cultural groups; to fill educational needs; to
challenge widespread prejudices and misconceptions; or to stimulate
reflection and debate. Deliberately provocative or titillating exhibitions
can also stimulate sagging visitor numbers.

But do museums adequately examine the reasons for the existence of taboos
before they break them? And while the transgression of mainstream taboos may
be justifiable, is it appropriate to offend the religious or moral
sensitivities of minority groups – something that museums may easily do out
of ignorance or arrogance. In a culturally diverse society, should museums
be alienating sections of the community? On the other hand, is it possible
that responsiveness to community concerns can reduce an exhibition to a
state of blandness?

Our discussion of taboo will inevitably involve a questioning of the role
and purpose of present-day museums. We invite contributors to Open Museum
Journal to join the discussion.


Megan Hicks
Curator of health and medicine
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

02 9217 0254 (phone)
02 9217 0355 (fax)
[log in to unmask]

-----------------------------------



-----------------------------------
Lee Adendorff
Website Coordinator
Australian Museums OnLine
PO Box K346
Haymarket  NSW  1238
t 02 9217 0346
f 02 9217 0616

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).