death: a self-portrait - a critcal analysis of language and cultural representaton in the exhibiton...

8/12/2019 DEATH: A SELF-PORTRAIT - A Critcal Analysis of Language and Cultural Representaton in the Exhibiton "Death: A S

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MA VISUAL CULTURE, University of WestminsterMODULE: SMGC70 !"MUSEUM #ARRATIVES

Assignment Submission Deadline: 10/01/2013

DEAT$: A SEL%&'ORTRAIT

A Cri cal Analysis of Language and Cultural Re resenta on in t!e "#!ibi on Death: A Self-Portrait at $ellcome Collec on

"ssay by Alessandra %errini

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CO#TE#TS:

I#TRODUCTIO# (!)

C$A'TER " (!)"&'()(*(+, ,ARRA*(-" +-"R-("$

C$A'TER * (!"0.$R(**", *"&*S A,D ,S + ", "SSA "S.

C$A'TER ) (!"*LA, A "4 D(S LA5 A,D *'" .+*'"R.

CO#CLUSIO#S (!"+

A''E#DI A (!"7A''E#DI - (!".ILLUSTRATIO#S (!*RE%ERE#CES (!*+

%URT$ER READI#G (!*7

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I#TRODUCTIO#

.6m7useums are in fact er!a s as muc! concerned 8it! 8ords as t!ey are 8it! ob9ects4alt!oug! in many 8ays4 because of t!e focus on t!e material ob9ect4 t!e 8ords !a e becomein isible.; ? stresses: .*!e language used in museums and galleries is as im ortant as t!e ob9ects; (tstructures t!e isitor.s e# erience4 it 8elcomes or discourages4 it informs or mys Ies; $e need to understand itand use it 8ell;. < ;13>2 (t is im ortant to no ce t!at4 alt!oug! related to t!e !istory of medicine4 t!e collec on amassed by Sir $ellcome is

redominantly categorised as et!nogra !ic; (n !is 8ords 2> : .Actually my interest in ant!ro ologycame before t!e medical4 but s ll t!ey !a e bot! con nued on arallel lines or !a e merged; y collec ons ofant!ro ological material4 considered as suc!4 are astly greater t!an t!e strictly medical4 8!ile most of t!eant!ro ological material ossesses strong medical signiIcance4 for in all t!e ages t!e reser a on of !ealt! andlife !as been u ermost in t!e minds of li ing beings4 !ence t!e omni resent medical man and t!e religio medico 4

or riest !ysician;.


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Se/n 1n2 Conte3t

Death: A Self-Portrait is !oused on t!e ground Joor of t!e $ellcome Collec on ?4 in t!e s ace reser ed totem orary collec ons; $e are resented 8it! a ar oned s ace and a contem orary design; (f looBing ont!e rig!t4 a staircase indicates its connec on 8it! anot!er s ace: t!e ermanent collec ons; (n fact4 t!is is

also t!e secondary access to t!e u er Joors4 and it encourages t!e ublic to rogress t!eir isit to t!eermanent e#!ibi ons4 t!us also sugges ng linBs bet8een t!em; on climbing t!e stairs4 one accessesMedicine Man, 8!ic! resents a selec on of ob9ects related to ant!ro ology4 t!e !istory of medicine4 andart t!at belongs to Sir 'enry $ellcome.s ri ate collec on; ,e#t to t!is s ace4 Medicine Now ro ides ano er ie8 of t!e de elo ment of scien Ic and medical t!oug!t from 1>3


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glass cabinets ; *!e same is true for t!e 8ay images are !ung on t!e 8all4 in a cluFered4 -ictorian fas!iont!roug!out t!e Irst four rooms; 'o8e er4 t!e tradi onal dis lay style is a roac!ed 8it! a contem oraryJare t!anBs to t!e drama c use of lig!ts and colours;

%ig;?Memento Mori, oom(

%ig;@Dance of Death, oom)


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%ig; NM An$*amnia, +alendar, ( - (

(n t!e Irst room4 . +ontempla$ng Death .4 t!e 8alls are ainted in a i id yello8 colour4 8!ic! is in starBcontrast 8it! t!e macabre images of .memento mori.


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o ing to t!e ne#t room4 . /ros and *!anatos.4 a ery diEerent selec on and seGng is on dis lay; $it! alebro8n 8alls4 t!is room !ouses anatomical dra8ings4 ancient rints and dra8ings as 8ell as contem oraryartefacts4 bot! collected and commissioned by Ric!ard 'arris; As a s!ar contrast4 t!e ne#t e#!ibi on room4.+ommemora$on . N muc! larger t!an t!e re ious s aces = dis lays a selec on of artefacts from diEerentcountries; *!e 8alls are brig!t blue and t!e use of lig! ng is once again drama c;

%ig; .iews of oom 0 and, in the #ac*ground, oom 1

%ig;>Marcos a a, 2n$tled 3famil portrait4 series, ) 5 3Me"ico4, oom5


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%ig;10Da of the Dead sculptures 3Me"ico4 oom5

%ig;11Tau-tau 36ndonesia4 and Da of the Dead sculptures 3Me"ico4, oom5

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*!e last room4 diEers strongly from t!e rest of t!e e#!ibi on because of its lacB of artefacts; Called t!e. esource oom' it !as a didac c role; 'ere4 booBs related to t!e t!eme of t!e e#!ibi on are a ailable forconsulta on and a com uter is accessible for submiGng contribu ons to a ar ci a e4 online ro9ect t!at!as been running arallel to t!e e#!ibi on4 in order to s mulate ublic res onse and audienceengagement @; oreo er4 a large diagram 8!ic! isualises and Puan Ies t!e reasons of deat! t!roug!outt!e 20 t! century occu ies a large 8all4 8!ile a ideo of Ric!ard 'arris talBing about t!e e#!ibi on oEers a

diEerent engagement and reading of t!e e#!ibi on; Alt!oug! t!is room aFem ts to be interac e andmore engaging4 t!e e#!ibi on as a 8!ole does not conform to t!e resent trend of interac e and !ands ondis lays; *!is must be related to t!e fact t!at t!e e#!ibi on seems to be targeted at an adult demogra !icbecause of its t!eme; *!e teac!ers acB also suggests t!at t!e e#!ibi on is tailored for a not too youngaudience4 oEering ac i es for ey Stage 3 and ?


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of Pues ons t!at can inJuence and alter t!e 8ay t!e ermanent collec ons are read;

O 8e9ts 1n2 L1n 1 e

$!en e#amining te#t and language in t!e museum conte#t4 it is im ortant to !ig!lig!t a fe8 oints raisedby 'oo er= reen!ill >2 in !er booB Museums and the Shaping of nowledge ; 'ere t!e aut!or iden Ies

Bno8ledge as t!e .commodity t!at museums oEer;. oreo er4 s!e states t!at .Bno8ing can alter seeing. andt!at as a result4 .museums and galleries can alter t!e erce on4 and can contribute to Bno8ledge;. < ;2*!is brings to lig!t t!e role of e#!ibi ons as sites for t!e roduc on and dissemina on of Bno8ledge;Alt!oug! all t!e elements4 from t!e ob9ects to t!e design ar ci ate in t!is rocess4 inter reta on is one oft!e most o8erful4 as language I#es meanings in a more direct and o8erful 8ay;

(n fact4 alt!oug! ob9ects are sta c4 t!eir meaning s!iK t!roug!out me and 8it!in diEerent conte#ts4 asad ocated by 'enrieFa Lidc!i >M ; (n ar cular4 t!e language used in inter re ng et!nogra !ic artefactsis in ol ed in a rocess of .decoding.4 t!e transla on of com licated and unfamiliar conce ts belonging todiEerent cultures into a com re!ensible language t!at can be 8idely understood; At t!e same me4 t!elanguage selected by t!e inter reter4 because of its selec ity4 8ill result in t!e .encoding. of a s eciIc

meaning4 a rocess of sim liIca on 8!ic! allo8s for ne8 meaning to be created and I#ed; *!us4 it is in t!is8ay t!at te#t I#es t!e meaning of ob9ects4 determining4 media ng and ar ally mys fying t!e 8ay ob9ectsand ot!er cultures are inter reted by t!e audience;

Te3t An2 L1n 1 e in Death: A Self Portrait

Death: A Self-Portrait resents a range of .Bno8ledge=based te#t.

Alt!oug! t!e te#t does not ro ide enoug! informa on to t!e audience about 8!o Ric!ard 'arris is and


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about t!e reasons be!ind t!e collec on and t!e e#!ibi on4 t!e use of t!e 8ord remar*a#le re eals a ar aloice; *!is is also reinforced by t!e te#t featured in t!e rest of t!e inter reta on material; (ssues of . alue.

and t!us o8er surface in t!e e#!ibi on4 suc! as in one of t!e e#tended labels 8!ic! begins 8it! t!efollo8ing sentences:

.*!ese !otogra !s4 er!a s t!e least commercially aluable items in t!e Ric!ard 'arris Collec on4

are also some of t!e most intriguing.

oreo er4 eac! e#tended label features t!e 8ri ng .Ric!ard 'arris Collec on. in a branding fas!ion; (naddi on to t!is4 t!e s!ort biogra !y about 'arris4 8!ic! is featured on t!e bacB of t!e booBlet and in t!ecatalogue4 does not tell muc! about !is bacBground4 rat!er4 it is anot!er celebra on of !is collec on; *!isambi alent resence of t!e collector4 too resent on one !and and mysterious on t!e ot!er4 clas!es 8it!t!e e#tensi e use of t!e 8ords .us. and .8e.; $!ile maBing t!e ublic ery conscious of 'arris.s M inorder to e#amine t!e 8ay .ot!er. cultures are re resented in t!e e#!ibi on4 bot! in t!e dis lays and in t!ete#t anels;

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CO#CLUSIO#S

ri ate collec ons are t!e result of one man.s oint of ie8 and as suc!4 t!ey are sub9ec e; " en t!oug!t!ese collec ons are mediated by museum staE4 curators and trusts4 as in t!e case of t!e $ellcomeCollec on4 t!ey are t!e result of a man.s obsession4 reoccu a on and ie8 of t!e 8orld; *!roug!out t!is

a er4 my aim !as been to unco er t!e 8ay t!is ersonal ie8 is roblema c 8!en confronted 8it! .ot!er.

cultures; Analysing t!e 8ay language is used in a celebratory and biased 8ay in Death: A Self-Portrait 4 andt!e 8ay non=$estern cultures are dis layed 8it!in a $estern=centric understanding of t!e re resenta onof deat!4 ( !a e claimed t!at t!e e#!ibi on re eals une en rela ons!i s of o8er; *!is is not only true fort!e 8ay .ot!er. cultures are em loyed to su ort $estern ie8s oint of ie8 t!roug! t!e e#tensi e use of .8e.4 .us. and .our.4 essen ally feels misleading in its endea our;

$!en researc!ing about Ric!ard 'arris4 one cannot a oid but coming across !is 8ebsite; 'ere4 'arrisdeInes !imself as !a ing reac!ed a sort of .totality.: from an Pue dealer to collector4 from curator tosomeone ac e in commissioning art; (n a 8ay4 t!is really ec!oes Sir 'enry $ellcome.s ursuit; $ellcomefollo8ed t!e odernist obsession of crea ng a .total. collec on 11 and4 alt!oug! !e 8as mainly focused onamassing a !uge collec on


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%ig;1M ichard =arris %ig;1 Sir =enr %ellcome

A''E#DI A

'ress Re4e1se

We449ome Co44e9=on o(ens >De1t


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LIST O% ILLUSTRATIO#S

%ig;0Death: A Self-Portrait 4 ad er sing material 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://d?BMs>!o Pact;cloudfront;net/8 =content/u loads/2012/11/deat!;9 g[>dMbd?] 6Accessed 0@Oanuary 20137

%ig;1!a out of the e"hi#i$on ; (mage from t!e *eac!er.s acB; 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://888;8ellcomecollec on;org/8!ats=on/e#!ibi ons/deat!=a=self= ortrait/learning=resources/teac!ers= acB;as #] 6Accessed 0@ Oanuary 20137

%ig;2%ellcome &uilding7 6online image7 A ailable from: \!F ://888;me#icolore;co;uB/images=3/32?^00^2;9 g] 6Accessed 0@ Oanuary 20137

%ig;3 Death: A Self-Portrait e"hi#i$on entrance7 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://#l8in;Iles;8ord ress;com/2012/11/img^ @12^e@ >afe >cac;9 g[8_M10`!_3> ] 6Accessed 0@

Oanuary 20137

%ig;?Memento Mori, oom(7 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://888;JicBr;com/ !otos/!a yfamousar sts/ 1 M3 >3@1/si es/o/in/ !otostream/] 6Accessed 0@Oanuary 20137

%ig;@Dance of death, oom)7 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://888;JicBr;com/ !otos/!a yfamousar sts/ 1 M3>11>@/si es/o/] 6Accessed 0@ Oanuary 20137

>ig7? An$*amnia, +alendar, ( - (7 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://888;JicBr;com/ !otos/!a yfamousar sts/ 1 M3 @ MM/si es/l/in/ !otostream/] 6Accessed 0@

Oanuary 20137

>ig7@ An$*amnia, +alendar, ( - (7 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://888;JicBr;com/ !otos/!a yfamousar sts/ 1 M3 ?1M3/si es/o/in/ !otostream/] 6Accessed 0@Oanuary 20137

%ig; .iews of oom 0 and, in the #ac*ground, oom 17 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://888; oltcafe;com/!ome/8 =content/u loads/deat!1;9 g] 6Accessed 0@ Oanuary 20137

%ig;> Raya4 ;4 M>^10;9 g] 6Accessed 0@ Oanuary 20137

%ig;12 esource oom7 6online image7 A ailable from:\!F ://888;JicBr;com/ !otos/!a yfamousar sts/ 1 M3 0 M/si es/l/in/ !otostream/] 6Accessed 0@

Oanuary 20137

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%URT$ER READI#G

)elB4 R;$;4 ;!earning >rom Things : method and theor of material culture studies7 $as!ington4 D;C;and London: Smit!sonian (ns tu on ress

Lord4 ); and De#ter Lord4 ;4 ? ; 6nterpre$ng o#9ects and collec$ons ; London and ,e8 5orB: Routledge

earce4 S; ;4 >3 ;Museums, o#9ects, and collec$ons : a cultural stud ; $as!ington4 D;C;: Smit!sonian

(ns tu on

Siegel4 O;4

death: a self-portrait - a critcal analysis of language and cultural representaton in the exhibiton...

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