You cannot always predict how the public will react. Having good planning
discussions, possibly involving community groups that might be portrayed in,
or affected by, the exhibit, and policies should help in making the choices
and in defending the decisions. There has been much discussion about this
sort of dilemma for museums and you should find some interesting messages in
Museum Discussion List's archives.
While I was the Executive Director of a National Exhibition Centre in
Canada, we had a travelling art exhibit come in that included casts of nude
male and female torsos. I was concerned that this detailed nudity might
offend some people. As it turned out, the only complaint that we received as
I recall was from a little older lady who was offended by the snake imagery
as the artist had 'snakes' emerging from stomachs, a snake head grafted onto
a human torso, etc.
There is a book out about the Smithsonian's problems trying to exhibit the
restored B-29 bomber "Enola Gay" that dropped the first atomic bomb in
action. They found that public perceptions had shifted dramatically between
1945 (when it was 'do whatever you have to defeat the enemy and bring our
sons and daughters home safely') and 1995 (in the comfort of hindsight, not
having their sons and daughters 'over there' risking death in battle, and
knowing about the horrific consequences of the atomic bomb, many among the
U.S. public took a different view).
Another exhibit that backfired, and I believe cost a senior museum staff
member their job, was "Out of Africa". I did not see the exhibit, but heard
that it involved colonial images of Africa. The accompanying labels and text
explained the pictures in their historical context and explained how we
would perceive them differently today. As I recall, media and certain groups
reacted viscerally, did not read the accompanying text, and flamed the
exhibit. Once people's minds were made up (by the media), they did not want
to be confused by facts.
The current issue of MUSE arrived today and has an article about one of A.
Hitler's staff cars that is on display at the Canadian War Museum. The CWM
thought about deaccessioning it (ah, that thorny issue!) and backed off due
to the negative publicity. Ironically the car is one of the museum's most
popular, but still controversial, exhibits. (MUSE - journal of the Canadian
Museums Association - Vol. XVIII No. 3 2000 pp. 34-37)
Should museums avoid controversy for fear of political correctness and
displeasure? No, I do not believe so, but it is a very difficult, and oft
times lonely, road to travel. To not travel it however is to censor and
whitewash both history and art.
Colin Macgregor Stevens,
Curator,
Burnaby Village Museum,
Burnaby, British Columbia, CANADA
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Phone: (604) 293-6504
FAX: (604) 293-6525
Museum web site:
http://www.burnabyparksrec.org/villagemuseum/villagemuseum.html
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Adrienne Barkley
> Sent: January 4, 2001 10:22
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Controversial Exhibit
>
> Please give me suggestions on how you or others that you know of handle
> controversial exhibit material. ... nude figures... We want to be
responsible to the public but also
> do not want to threaten freedom of expression.
>
> Any general guidelines or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you in
> advance.
>
> Adrienne F. Barkley
> Curator
> John A. Logan College Museum
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