Tuesday, December 07, 2021
Museums and emotion | changing attitudes & behaviour
blooloop: Emotion has not always enjoyed a positive reputation within the museum and heritage world. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, emotion and heritage were considered unnatural bedfellows. Emotion in the heritage world was seen as mere nostalgia; an unhelpful distraction from the objective gaze of historyi.
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I think that this article points at an interesting culture shift that good but also a bit off putting. It is great that American society is getting better in touch with their emotions and even allowing these expressions publicly. This discussion with making museums more “emotionally connected” to the visitors is an intriguing one. Thinking about, not only the materials that are on display, but also the way that they function is a great shift. I do relate in thinking that some of the most intriguing items in museums are ones that I may have the most connection with. However, what does that also say about us, as a society, that we must structure our museums in a way that reflects upon our interests alone. Why can we not be intrigued by things that have absolutely nothing to do with ourselves? What is lost because of this? I wonder if there are unintended side effects to the “great” transition into the freeing emotion that our society is partaking in?
I think one of the biggest power moves any museum exhibit has, and please pardon the pun, is the resonance it exhibits in it's audience. Emotions aren't hard to relate with for the Average Joe, and the article was right that just because a piece of art exists and looks pretty doesn't mean it can't have an impact on the beholder. It's not hard to find the resonance or see who the intended audience is for in a specific piece of work, but the most exhilarating part of viewing art is stepping yourself into the intended persons/peoples point of view and try to relate, at least in my opinion. One of the greatest powers that art holds in the world is that it's not just for one specific person. It's for everyone. It's so you can look at the thing, try to understand it, and then feel whatever you feel. That's just art for you.
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