The thesis revolves around the theoretical and practical aspects of museum studies. More specifically, it focuses on European Jewish Museums built 'ex novo' in the post-war period. It analyzes several museum exhibition designs based on various narrative strategies. The main topic of the research concerns the museum as a communicative space, or as a narrative medium in the function of the collective memory and the public debate. The project aims at studying the genesis of museum narration and its influence on public perception and response in different cultural and historical contexts. The theoretical issues are highlighted and addressed considering the museum as a dynamic reality and place of cognitive experience that can lead not only to the redefinition of the identity of individuals or communities but also to the formation of a critical approach towards the unresolved issues of history and towards the problems of today's world. Starting from the genesis of the concept of the historical narrative museum of J. Weinberg, which has become the common reference point for both Jewish and historical museography, the thesis is a critical synthesis of the theoretical debate concerning the various exhibition models applied in the context of historical museums. Particular attention is given to questions related to the "new museology" and to the museological turn that begins to be more interested in the relationship between museum and visitor than between museum and exhibited object. The first part of the thesis examines the birth of museum models that, in the context of Jewish museology, trace the path to the search of "total" museum experience and the formation of the first museum campuses. The section closes with the analysis of the Jewish Museum of Berlin (JMB) which represents a sort of watershed in contemporary Jewish museology, becoming a reference model for historical museums and an example of excellence for the "total" museum experience. It is also the first European case of application of the Weinberg concept, as well as being an example of a strong influence of the Holocaust memory on museum design. The second part of the thesis takes as a case study the Museum of the History of Polish Jews of Warsaw (POLIN), which despite being influenced by Weinberg's thought, reversed the German model, treating the Holocaust only as one of the many chapters of the Jewish history. The analysis focuses on the narration types present in the museum, making evident both the presence of elements referable to the very first exhibiting models (referred to in the first part of the thesis) and applications of the solutions of contemporary technologies. In a nutshell, the thesis investigates the relationship between the modes of representation of the past and the critical function of the contemporary museum. Considering the multifaceted character of museum narratives, the study asks questions about the role of the object exposed and the objectivity of the representation of history; it also raises questions on fundamental issues such as identity, the relationship of museums with urban space, socio-political interests, public expectations, relations with mass culture and, finally, the validity of the presence of contemporary art in the museums of history. Particular attention is paid, in this sense, to the role of temporary exhibitions, which represent the future of historical museums.
LA (RI)COSTRUZIONE DEL PASSATO AL TEMPO DEI MUSEI NARRATIVI. POLITICHE ESPOSITIVE E MUSEI EBRAICI
SMIGIEL, AGNIESZKA
2019-06-27
Abstract
The thesis revolves around the theoretical and practical aspects of museum studies. More specifically, it focuses on European Jewish Museums built 'ex novo' in the post-war period. It analyzes several museum exhibition designs based on various narrative strategies. The main topic of the research concerns the museum as a communicative space, or as a narrative medium in the function of the collective memory and the public debate. The project aims at studying the genesis of museum narration and its influence on public perception and response in different cultural and historical contexts. The theoretical issues are highlighted and addressed considering the museum as a dynamic reality and place of cognitive experience that can lead not only to the redefinition of the identity of individuals or communities but also to the formation of a critical approach towards the unresolved issues of history and towards the problems of today's world. Starting from the genesis of the concept of the historical narrative museum of J. Weinberg, which has become the common reference point for both Jewish and historical museography, the thesis is a critical synthesis of the theoretical debate concerning the various exhibition models applied in the context of historical museums. Particular attention is given to questions related to the "new museology" and to the museological turn that begins to be more interested in the relationship between museum and visitor than between museum and exhibited object. The first part of the thesis examines the birth of museum models that, in the context of Jewish museology, trace the path to the search of "total" museum experience and the formation of the first museum campuses. The section closes with the analysis of the Jewish Museum of Berlin (JMB) which represents a sort of watershed in contemporary Jewish museology, becoming a reference model for historical museums and an example of excellence for the "total" museum experience. It is also the first European case of application of the Weinberg concept, as well as being an example of a strong influence of the Holocaust memory on museum design. The second part of the thesis takes as a case study the Museum of the History of Polish Jews of Warsaw (POLIN), which despite being influenced by Weinberg's thought, reversed the German model, treating the Holocaust only as one of the many chapters of the Jewish history. The analysis focuses on the narration types present in the museum, making evident both the presence of elements referable to the very first exhibiting models (referred to in the first part of the thesis) and applications of the solutions of contemporary technologies. In a nutshell, the thesis investigates the relationship between the modes of representation of the past and the critical function of the contemporary museum. Considering the multifaceted character of museum narratives, the study asks questions about the role of the object exposed and the objectivity of the representation of history; it also raises questions on fundamental issues such as identity, the relationship of museums with urban space, socio-political interests, public expectations, relations with mass culture and, finally, the validity of the presence of contemporary art in the museums of history. Particular attention is paid, in this sense, to the role of temporary exhibitions, which represent the future of historical museums.
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