How about repatriation as it affects exhibition and research, a truly American controversial topic? On Tue, 13 Feb 1996, Eric Siegel wrote: > A general inquiry (*very* general). > > As a result of discussions on this list, I have been invited by our > Danish museum colleagues to go speak at a conference in Aarhus, DN on > various political aspects of American museums. This, of course, > proves the adage that "on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." > > In an effort to provide value for money, and to go beyond my own > perspective, I have been doing some research on the topic. As part of > this research, I now have an inquiry to make to the Museum-l'ers. > > The general gist of the discussion is, first, to provide a biased > perspective on American politics. I don' need no stinkin research for > that, it will be from the personal point of view of...me, here as a > NYC Jew-Liberal, etc. > > The second part of the discussion will also not require a whole lot of > research, as it will be about the typical organizational structure of > American museums as private not-for-profits, and how that affects the > public role of museums. > > The third part will be about specific controversies over exhibitions. > I will probably focus upon the Enola Gay exhibit. Mike Wallace did > some in-depth research for his book on the evolution of the exhibit. > I seem to remember the mention of a web-site. Before I turn to Lycos, > does anyone here have a URL? I would like to include some other > exhibits that have confronted similar controversies, for example, the > exhibit that will open next month (?) about the Irish in NYC. Any > other examples will be welcome. > > I will then assemble a small international panel, and try to elicit > the different responses that controversial exhibitions might engender > in museums in Germany, Denmark, Britain, and the United States. We'll > see how that works. > > I am interested in reading contrarian analyses of museum > theory/practice. I enjoyed Umberto Eco's book, Travels in > Hyperreality, which treats glancingly of museums. Any books that have > proven provocative and pithy, I would be glad to hear about. Even if > you *really* disagreed with the books thesis/tone. > > This conference begins on March 20, so I am busily reading away... > Grateful for any suggestions, > > Eric Siegel > [log in to unmask] >