Dear museum list Apologies for any double messages since I am sending this message to serveral lists. I look forward to reading your comments off or on the discussion list michele >Dear museum-list >In a recent interview with the Arts Newspaper (April issue),Ronald de > >Leeuw, director of the Rijksmuseum discussed his revolutionary changes to >integrate the departments of fine and decorative arts. His >new plans >include displaying a mixture of art and history objects together telling >the story of Dutch culture. >I am wondering, if there are any other examples of how history and art >departments in larger - or even smaller- museums have worked together to >integrate exhibitions. What approaches have been taken? A thematic or >chronological approach? What dangers and problems are there in showing art >and history together? How does one confront others with issues such >nationalism, colonialism or taboo's within that society's culture? How >does one avoid creating stereotypical displays and perhaps even run the >chance of glorifying its nation's history? Whose history should be >presented? And by what Authority? ( How does one avoid the > chance of >creating of its nations' ultimate and perhaps one sided history... The >public might therefore think: it-is- true because it is the museum!) Is >there still room to explain the more abstract and political ideas to the >public? And how? Or by taking by trying to integrate its displays the >Rijksmuseum is becoming a >more marketable to a larger non museum public and is just shaking off its >elitist armour? And perhaps nothing to worry about at all.. and thus moving >into an new era. > >I guess.... I am just looking for good and bad examples around the world >or perhaps even literature of how museums deal with history and what are >some of the more current practices when showing its nation's past... >>Michele Jacobs ([log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]) >De Boekman Stichting (www.boekman. nl >Editor of the Museumkr@nt > >Please feel free to contact me on or off the list with any suggestions. > >________________________________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > >========================================================= >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). ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================= 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).