The Tropenmuseum for a change!
Video reports on YouTube
Present between past and future
Over the past few years, the Tropenmuseum has been realising a major renovation of its permanent exhibits. The museum has celebrated the completion of this large-scale renewal with an international symposium called ‘The Tropenmuseum for a change!’. On Thursday, 11 December 2008, speakers from the Netherlands and abroad discussed the role and importance of ethnological museums in the 21st century.
The Tropenmuseum has made a video report of the symposium. This has resulted in tree short videos that have been uploaded on the YouTube Tropenmuseum channel. A publication about this symposium will be published soon. For more information contact tropenmuseum@kit.nl.
Symposium on YouTube (part 1)
This video contains interviews with the director of the museum, Lejo Schenk, and two international professionals, Jyotindra Jain and Susan Vogel, who give their opinion on the renewed exhibitions India and Africa. It also includes several images of these renewed exhibitions.
Symposium on YouTube (part 2)
This video contains the first part of the symposium, with an introduction by its director, Lejo Schenk, and a presentation on the concepts, intentions and ideas underlying the renewed exhibitions by former head of the curatorial department, Professor Dr. Susan Legêne.
Symposium on YouTube (part 3)
This video is an abstract of a long panel discussion, moderated by Professor Kitty Zijlmans, with Prof. Jyotindra Jain from Indira Gandhi University, Dr. Henrietta Lidchi from National Museums of Scotland, and with curator, art critic and writer Okwui Enwezor critically discussing the Tropenmuseum as it is now.
The renovation
The ten permanent exhibitions in the Tropenmuseum were all renovated one-by-one. Due to this phased work schedule, the museum was able to respond to the most current international discussions in the museum world. In its redesigned departments, the Tropenmuseum aims to provide a glimpse of global cultural diversity, while at the same time paying attention to the similarities between people around the world. Visitors are encouraged to think about these differences and similarities and over their own culture and identity.
The Tropenmuseum has developed into a dynamic museum, oriented towards narratives from different cultures around the world, and with considerable attention for immaterial heritage and for objects in the collection of the Tropenmuseum as the central storytellers.
Are ethnological museums still necessary?
During the renovation, the Tropenmuseum critically examined its own tasks and responsibilities and how they have evolved over the course of time. How can you tie together history and current events? What is the ideal balance between education and entertainment? What role should art play in an ethnographical museum? And what is the relevance of an ethnographical museum in the current multicultural society? In its new exhibits, the Tropenmuseum has tried to find an answer to these pressing questions. Read more on the renovation of the Tropenmuseum.
Audio symposium 2008 - Part 1
Museum discussion
In this session, heritage professionals were invited to help redefine the goal and mission of so-called ethnographic museums. This museum type is experiencing an identity crisis, because of its colonial origin and difficulty in being contemporary. Invited guests argue for different solutions...
Listen to part 1Audio symposium 2008 - Part 2
Collection discourse
Part of the problems that ethnographic museums experience, involve the collections, that were gathered in colonial times. What to do with these collections, and how can they be reinterpreted to be of value today? And how about contemporary collecting? Does modern art have a place in an ethnographic museum? Different specialists think on this matter...
Listen to part 2Audio symposium 2008 - Part 3
Social discourse
How are ethnographic museums relevant to the ever changing society of today? What communities does the museum serve, and how? And how is Tropenmuseum actually doing on that aspect? Some critical notes…
Listen to part 3Audio symposium 2008- part 4
Presentation discourse
With all the changes in society at large, how can audiences be reached best? What are the best methods to research visitors’ needs? What is valued more in museum presentations, aspects of recognition or curiosity? And what about new media…
Listen to part 4Follow the Tropenmuseum on: