Awardee's account

The power of museums

This is a summary of a presentation held by Ms. Esther Sloof at the 2003 ACSN seminar. For a PDF-file of the integral text, please click here.

Summary

Museums have influence on the way we perceive objects and the stories that they tell. Through classification, context, presentation, inclusion and exclusion, the museum has a certain power to influence our truths.

As the public has come to realise this power of museums, they have been demanding more influence on the stories that museums tell. Especially minority groups, whose heritage is in the hands of western museums, try to regain some authority over their heritage. The Blackfoot exhibition at the Kunsthal is an example of how museums and community groups can cooperate.

But not all exhibitions are suitable for community involvement. The success of community involvement depends on the classification and context of the objects on display. Some exhibitions feature stories that will only appeal to a small part of the community, and are therefore not able to attract a community as a whole.

About the author

Esther Sloof is a student in Cultural Anthropology at Utrecht University. In 2002 she received an ACSN-award to undertake fieldwork in Toronto. Currently she is writing her thesis for her master's degree, which includes the results of her fieldwork at the Royal Ontario Museum and in Chinatown. Her research focuses on influences between museums and public groups.