1. Professor: Jan Marontate School of Communication Simon Fraser University Visitor to Digital Dialogues Exhibition Week 2: Collecting & Exhibiting Things: Theories of Culture & Museums

2. Last Day: Course Administration Course Administration –Course Website Course WebsiteCourse Website –Handout # 1: Syllabus, Grading, Schedule, ###ERROR in 1 st version###: Quiz #2 is on Nov. 7 th not Nov. 10 th !!! Handout # 1Handout # 1 Readings Weeks 1,2,3 (Handout #2) Readings Weeks 1,2,3 (Handout #2)Handout #2Handout #2 Fieldwork: Visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery Fieldwork: Visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery

3. Today: Lecture (1 st part of class) Lecture (1 st part of class) Workshop in Computer Lab (on course requirements & website creation) Workshop in Computer Lab (on course requirements & website creation) –Meet in 7 th floor lab (room7050) at 11:40 –Note: Lab is only accessible from the elevator.

4. Lecture Outline 1-Defining Culture: theories of culture, communication & society 1-Defining Culture: theories of culture, communication & society 2-Culture & “Things”--Collecting Culture & Cultural Heritage “Institutions”: Traditions, Mandates & Professional Practices 2-Culture & “Things”--Collecting Culture & Cultural Heritage “Institutions”: Traditions, Mandates & Professional Practices 3-Challenges of Digital Media, Variable or Time-based Media for Cultural Heritage Preservation Traditions 3-Challenges of Digital Media, Variable or Time-based Media for Cultural Heritage Preservation Traditions

5. Part 1: Defining Culture— General Notions (Hooper-Greenhill reading) The “High Culture Model” The “High Culture Model” –Culture as “civilization”, hierarchical notions focussing on the arts, higher learning, institutions & integration with organizations associated with elites (even if they originated in popular or mass culture) Everyday Life (Popular Culture): Lived experience, belief systems & practices Everyday Life (Popular Culture): Lived experience, belief systems & practices –“ordinary people”, meanings (values or beliefs) & practices

6. Theoretical Definitions of Culture (Raymond Williams) Theoretical Definitions of Culture (Raymond Williams) (Raymond Williams) (Raymond Williams) process of intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic “development” (or change)—”spiritual” rather than material, “selective traditions: process of intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic “development” (or change)—”spiritual” rather than material, “selective traditions: Recorded culture (material & symbolic) : “products”`--works--(intellectual esp. artistic) embedded in practices, institutions, media, etc. Recorded culture (material & symbolic) : “products”`--works--(intellectual esp. artistic) embedded in practices, institutions, media, etc. Everyday values, practices, way of life of a group of people, period or group --lived experience at a particular time & place Everyday values, practices, way of life of a group of people, period or group --lived experience at a particular time & place (Also: Signifiying systems: performed, constructing meanings) (Also: Signifiying systems: performed, constructing meanings)

7. Manifestations of Culture symbolic culture symbolic culture – values, beliefs, ways of reasoning, style, tastes, values, meaning material culture material culture –“things”, techniques Combinations of symbolic & material (Practices & beliefs, things as evidence) Combinations of symbolic & material (Practices & beliefs, things as evidence)

8. Roots of Some Scholarly Approaches : Theories of Meaning- making Psychoanalysis: analyses symbolic meanings as symptoms of unconscious “displaced” fears & desires (Freud) Psychoanalysis: analyses symbolic meanings as symptoms of unconscious “displaced” fears & desires (Freud) Structuralism & post structuralism (de Saussure) Structuralism & post structuralism (de Saussure) –Structures (langue) underly everyday communication (Parole) –Used by others in different ways (Foucault, Lacan, Kristeva etc..) Discourse analysis Discourse analysis –Way of representing (talking about) things creates knowledge & power relations Semiology & semiotics Semiology & semiotics –Sign = Signified + signifier –Manifest & latent meanings –Levels of signification Denotation (obvious meaning) Denotation (obvious meaning) Connotation (hidden meaning) Connotation (hidden meaning)

9. Examples: Critical Evaluation of Cultural “Things or Practices” ”reading” or “deconstructing” cultural works & practices ”reading” or “deconstructing” cultural works & practices

10. Other Approaches: Social Studies & History of Media, Technology & Communication Technological change (change in material culture, interplay of technology & culture) Technological change (change in material culture, interplay of technology & culture) Media studies (as a technology for communicating ideas) Media studies (as a technology for communicating ideas) Globalization (technology, communication as material & symbolic practice) Globalization (technology, communication as material & symbolic practice)

11. Persistance of Culture as Civilization Tradition one “good” set of values + practices one “good” set of values + practices education/culture = good citizens + responsible voters education/culture = good citizens + responsible voters mistrust + dislike of popular culture mistrust + dislike of popular culture Theoretical work: Matthew Arnold, Leavism Theoretical work: Matthew Arnold, Leavism

12. Popular Culture as threat to “civilization” theories popular culture  political disorder / anarchy (Matthew Arnold) popular culture  political disorder / anarchy (Matthew Arnold) shared tastes, practices (elite)  “good citizenship” shared tastes, practices (elite)  “good citizenship” against democracy in culture (Leavis) against democracy in culture (Leavis) –nostalgia for past –puritanical dislike of mass culture, “low-brow tastes” culture = what is best and ability to recognize it culture = what is best and ability to recognize it

13. Defining Popular Culture? 1. culture that is well-liked? (quantitative dimension) 1. culture that is well-liked? (quantitative dimension) –how to measure this (# of fans, power of partisans, costs, etc..) 2. practices, values & things that are not “high culture”? 2. practices, values & things that are not “high culture”? –But changes in “status” (ex. Opera, Jazz)

14. Defining Popular Culture (cont’d) 3. popular culture as Mass culture 3. popular culture as Mass culture –commercial dimension (capitalism) –notion that audience is non-discriminating –but what about audiences who know what they like?(ex.box office flops) –association with North American (U.S-dominated) values

15. Defining Popular Culture (cont’d) 4. Popular culture as “from the people” 4. Popular culture as “from the people” –who are the “people”? 5. Popular culture as site of struggle between “dominant forces” and “forces of resistance” 5. Popular culture as site of struggle between “dominant forces” and “forces of resistance” 6. Postmodernist & Post-colonist notions -- end of distinction between different forms of culture 6. Postmodernist & Post-colonist notions -- end of distinction between different forms of culture

16. Criticism of Mass Culture (pt of view of “Civilization” Tradition) threat to high culture threat to high culture exploits people exploits people –mindless hedonism –addictive & debilitating promotes “bad” social habits promotes “bad” social habits –against public good, damaging to individual

17. Forms/types of Culture –Dominated -popular culture, media culture, mass culture, low brow –Dominant--high Culture, learned Culture, high brow –“Outsider” forms--Traditional and Folk Culture

18. Inequalities in Traditional Typologies of Culture implied ranking implied ranking ?evolutionary model for cultural change ? ?evolutionary model for cultural change ? ?Western canons? ?Western canons? politics of diversity-- postcolonialist, feminist, queer studies etc… politics of diversity-- postcolonialist, feminist, queer studies etc…

19. Cultural Things & “Representation” Two main meanings Two main meanings –Symbolic “thing” or text –Process of presenting Connection with “realism” Connection with “realism” –Does representation “constitute” reality? –Is it separate from “reality”? –Is there a separate “objective” (non subjective) reality?

20. Culture as Lived Experience (Raymond Williams) human agency (active involvement) human agency (active involvement) people not just consumers --create & transform culture people not just consumers --create & transform culture focus on Feelings/Experience focus on Feelings/Experience –shared values of social group –collective unconscious –shared ideology

21. Early Use of Popular Culture in Educating Children & working class “bad” examples -- to condemn it “bad” examples -- to condemn it defense of popular culture as educational tool ( Stuart Hall & Paddy Whannel) defense of popular culture as educational tool ( Stuart Hall & Paddy Whannel) idea of engaging people to lead them to “better things” idea of engaging people to lead them to “better things” Problems: Problems: – implied hierarchy of taste (high culture at top of a single scale)

22. Definitions of Culture & Key issues in the content contemporary Cultural Heritage collections Identity politics Identity politics –production & reproduction) interpretation of meanings interpretation of meanings –conscious & unconscious mental processes –Hermeneutics culture & history culture & history –Tradition, ideology, power (hegemony) –cross-cultural communication, hegemony, globalization

23. Part 2: Culture & Collections of “Things”-- But Collecting Culture & Cultural Heritage “Institutions” But Collecting Culture & Cultural Heritage “Institutions” –Origins of collections and exhibitionary institutions –Traditions, mandates & codes of ethics –Retaining old collections & building new? Depends on specific mandate & cultural context Preservation of material culture? Preservation of material culture? Re-interpretation of meanings of collections Re-interpretation of meanings of collections Democratization & education of publics Democratization & education of publics

24. Traditions (the case of artworks & cultural artefacts in museum contexts)

25. 20 th c. notions of collecting “cultural things” original object or artifact as authoritative, authentic, unchanging record “frozen in time” original object or artifact as authoritative, authentic, unchanging record “frozen in time” authority or “aura” of creator (Walter Benjamin) authority or “aura” of creator (Walter Benjamin) –record of artists’ intention, act Variations in interpretations of meanings of “things” Variations in interpretations of meanings of “things” –Classification (artistic vs. “historic” artifact) –western, non-western criteria, (different definitions of art vs. artifact in “primitive” cultures)

26. Social Organization of Heritage Preservation Conventions, norms Conventions, norms –Practices, codes or ethics & mandates institutional frameworks institutional frameworks –Division of labour, hierarchical organization premised on old notions of “authenticity” & connections to “reality” premised on old notions of “authenticity” & connections to “reality” –object as primary record of creative act/lived experience –preserve state of object at moment of creation (?)

27. Questioning Cultural Heritage from Things Records of lived experience and creative practices are fragmentary, partial Records of lived experience and creative practices are fragmentary, partial Why? Why? –Accidental? Deliberate? –Contextual? (institutionalized racism, notions of what is important or who matters? Material constraints (war, poverty etc…) –Other? Johann Heinrich Füssli (1741 - 1825): The Artist Weeping at the grandeur of ancient ruins, 1778/80 http://www.kunsthaus.ch/http://www.kunsthaus.ch/

28. Objects/Artifacts as cultural heritage (?) Records of life & works Records of life & works –sources of “information” –“traceurs”, “dispositifs”, devices for tracking social, artistic, scientific practices & values Tensions Tensions –knowledge, practices & objects –tangible & intangible cultural heritage

29. Different values according to the “value” of the object National Museum of Air & Space, Smithsonian Institution Scientific? Artistic? Scientific? Artistic?Ethnographic? Status of the object in the meaning-making framework in which it is viewed Status of the object in the meaning-making framework in which it is viewed

30. Museums as Cultural authorities & Institutions for intercultural communication (History) League of Nations after WWI (c. 1920s) League of Nations after WWI (c. 1920s) –Social Agenda for the promotions of peace, recognition of difference & distinctiveness) “Civilizing” mission “Civilizing” mission –Education in the high culture model –Governmental efforts to control & regulate “norms of social behaviour” accept ruling-class authority accept ruling-class authority Reshape norms of behaviour Reshape norms of behaviour Museums as locus for intercultural communication : Museums as locus for intercultural communication : –cultural heritage as a global right –place of all time (heterotopia)– Foucault or “timeless”

31. Origins of Museum Collections Diverse roots: Diverse roots: –Popular entertainments & exhibitory institutions : Curiosity cabinets, fairgrounds, circuses –Private connoisseurs (learned? Elite?Or not?) Role of museum in systematizing collections Role of museum in systematizing collections –Tensions: “rationalize” collections & use “scientific” means to present museum objects as coherent expressions of learned culture while providing popular amusements

32. Mandates & Types of Museums Diverse: ICOM international committees (by type of museum or museum profession) Diverse: ICOM international committees (by type of museum or museum profession)ICOM international committees ICOM international committees

33. Tensions in Museum Mandates: Preservation of Elites or Democratization? Some of challenges New skills, communication “across’ disciplines? New skills, communication “across’ disciplines? Persistence of old organizational structures, values & practices in museum worlds Persistence of old organizational structures, values & practices in museum worlds Interplay of personal and professional, private and public Interplay of personal and professional, private and public –“hot” & “cold” moments, “thick” description (C. Geertz)

34. Roles of Museum Professionals Hierarchical Division of “labour” & authority Hierarchical Division of “labour” & authority –Director –Curator (usually a trained historian) –Conservator (restorer): touches the objects –Conservation scientist: often training in applied science (chemistry etc.) –Technician –Registrar (documentation)

35. Codes of ethics: Why? “Professionalization” (recognition of museology as a “scientific” and intellectual discipline) “Professionalization” (recognition of museology as a “scientific” and intellectual discipline) Cultural Authority of Museums (peacetime & wartime) Cultural Authority of Museums (peacetime & wartime) Regulation of disparate practices & protection of “things” Regulation of disparate practices & protection of “things” Protection of Museums from Political Interference Protection of Museums from Political Interference International issues– notion of global ownership of material culture & intercultural communication International issues– notion of global ownership of material culture & intercultural communication Example: ICOM Code of Ethics Example: ICOM Code of EthicsICOM Code of EthicsICOM Code of Ethics

36. Some key principles in Cultural Heritage Preservation respect for respect for –meaning of “object or artefact” –Preservation of collections (in perpetuity) –In art: respect for creator’s intent –In historic & cultural museums: community stakeholders (newer) Debates: ownership and authority Debates: ownership and authority –Multiple meanings

37. Variations in conservation approaches according to symbolic value, meaning Pressurized suits (Deep sea and Outer space) National Museum of Air & Space, Smithsonian Institution field (arts, sciences) field (arts, sciences) status & meaning of the object status & meaning of the object type of use type of use treatment conventions treatment conventions

38. Part 3: Challenges from New Technologies & Practices Ex. Ephemeral Materials ‘Flesh Dress…’ (Jana Sterbak)

39. New Ideas about what to collect Exhibition of Storefront Display covered with toxic dust from September 11, 2001, New York City. Source NYTimes, Aug. 25, 2006Source NYTimes

40. Performance example: Julie Laffin, Over, 1996

41. Obsolete Technologies: (Nam June Paik. TV Garden. 1974)

42. Nam June Paik, TV Garden, 2000 version

43. Nam June Pak: Replacement Parts Storage Area

44. Interactive works: example: ada’web, 1995-1998 www.adaweb.walker.org www.adaweb.walker.org

45. Preservation and Presentation challenges Physical installation components, hardware, custom software, feedback delay time, c perfomantive aspects Physical installation components, hardware, custom software, feedback delay time, c perfomantive aspects Multiple genres Multiple genres –Site-specific (Internet) –performative (interaction of viewers etc.)

46. Conservation & professional practices in the “museum field” Archives & preservation of Archives & preservation of –Works –of equipment, replacement supplies & tools of creation (ex. software & hardware) Documentation Documentation –techniques for record keeping & nomenclature of works & processes –Information on technical standards (industry) –Treatment experiences & standards for care

47. –Values & Practices in “art worlds” (creators, curators, conservators, technicians, registrars, archivists, collectors, publics, etc…) –Arts institutions (mandates, codes of ethics, organizational structures, professional identities) –International networks (disciplinary & trans- disciplinary collaboration, national traditions) Name T= Can touch art 24 h a day without supervision (Twenty-four hours) D=may touch art during museum hours under supervision Red aura =may touch artworks Studying Changes? Example of Art Museums

48. Initiatives to Develop New Strategies for the Preservation of Variable Media Works Many approaches from different perspectives Many approaches from different perspectives –Museum traditions –Industry (film, TV, music etc.) –Archival traditions (public & private libraries & archives) –Government (information management) Next week: Begin with two initiatives: Variable Media Initiative and InterPARES (See Handout 2) Next week: Begin with two initiatives: Variable Media Initiative and InterPARES (See Handout 2) (See Handout (See Handout

49. Second Half of Class: Review of Course Administration Handout # 1: Syllabus, Grading, Schedule, Course Website ERROR in 1 st version: Quiz #2 is on Nov. 7 th !!!! Handout # 1: Syllabus, Grading, Schedule, Course Website ERROR in 1 st version: Quiz #2 is on Nov. 7 th !!!! Handout # 1Course Website Handout # 1Course Website

50. Readings & Fieldwork Weeks 1,2,3 (Handout #2) Weeks 1,2,3 (Handout #2)Handout #2Handout #2

51. If time: Discuss visit to Vancouver Art Galler (Haida cultural heritage & contemporary society?) –The museum visit as a form of communication (from the perspective of the visitor, the museum professionals & the people depicted) –The “content” of the exhibition –The museum as a frame or cultural context (other shows, shop items etc.)

52. Example: Taste and style as culture “markers” ex. Subcultures (“White Trash Girl”)

53. “Main Stream”