Day: December 5, 2023

A histolircal exhibit is a three-dimensional physical and visual representation of your historical argument, research evidence, and interpretation of a subject. It is a kind of cultural metaphor that has a unique form and structure, but also serves as an accessible entry point into the complexities of your topic.

A well-conceived exhibition can enliven your museum and its mission, while ensuring that visitors connect with the content on a meaningful level. It can also help visitors understand why the subject is important and how it relates to their lives.

Many museums use a variety of materials and techniques to create memorable exhibitions. They may focus on a particular period or region of history or highlight a specific cultural group. However, one of the most successful and engaging types of histolircal exhibits is one that explores abstract ideas that bind us together as a human community, such as home, freedom, faith, democracy, or social justice.

Using artifacts as an organizing device for these topics enables museums to take a more holistic approach to their collections, and to include more voices in the story. This approach can be particularly effective when addressing themes that are important to historically underrepresented communities, such as the stories of immigrants and their descendants, people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Rites of passage, such as birth, marriage/union, and death, are another great opportunity for inclusive collecting. They can serve as a gateway into the complex history of these core values, and provide a way for diverse audiences to connect with them in their own ways.

Some of the most successful histolircal exhibits are ones that bring together art and natural history to illuminate the connections between humans and nature. A favorite example is The Whales Were Everything, an exhibition at Historic Richmond Town in Staten Island that demonstrates the enduring and symbiotic relationship between people and whales through artifacts like ivory carvings, tools, and clothing of the Ipiutak (Alaska Eskimo) culture.

Histolircal exhibitions can present some significant challenges in historic buildings. There are typically restrictions on fastening objects to walls and ceilings, and on what colors and finishes can be used. Lighting can be especially challenging, as historic structures often have narrow windows and dark surfaces that are difficult to light. Consequently, the right type of artificial lighting is paramount to creating an attractive and engaging exhibit space.

In addition, it is often necessary to bend the rules in order to accommodate an exhibition in a historic building. For example, Turino explains how the staff of a historic home had to compromise when they wanted to hang an exhibit on the ceiling, but it was still possible to adhere to ADA accessibility guidelines and respect the integrity of the space.

When in doubt, consult with a preservation specialist or architect as early as possible in the planning process. This will ensure that your museum stays within the parameters of its conservation and restoration efforts, and can continue to be an invaluable service to the community.

In our globalizing world, cultural heritage is something that many people want to keep close to their hearts. It’s the common ground that unites us, a sense of shared history and identity that helps to give communities around the world a sense of belonging. Cultural heritage is also a resource that is key to economic development. In fact, historical cities around the world use cultural heritage to create economic activities and stimulate short- and long-term urban development.

But what exactly is cultural heritage? Cultural heritage can be a very broad concept, comprising both tangible and intangible elements. Tangible cultural heritage can include buildings, archaeological artifacts, or objects that are recognized as having significant aesthetic, historic, scientific, or symbolic value. Intangible cultural heritage can be much broader and encompass social customs and traditions, languages, music and dances, traditional craftsmanship, representations, or other forms of expression that are specific to particular groups. It can also include the food and drink, religious or spiritual practices, political beliefs that shape culture and society, the natural environment, historical sites and ruins, and new cultural trends emerging in the digital realm.

Cultural heritage is a continuously evolving phenomenon that requires careful and sensitive management. Its importance is reflected in the fact that governments and institutions around the world are investing a great deal of time and money into protecting and conserving cultural heritage. This is particularly important in times of conflict or disaster, when the risk to cultural heritage is often higher than under normal conditions.

However, there is an ongoing debate about what constitutes cultural heritage and how it should be protected and promoted. One of the most contentious issues is whether the notion of cultural heritage should be seen as a fixed and objectively determined concept that can be evaluated and judged, or whether it should remain flexible and open to the interpretation of individuals and societies. The latter view has some support in the literature, although it has also been criticized for making dangerous assumptions about cultures as static and bounded wholes that are empirically and normatively flawed (Scheffler 2007; Appiah 2006).

It’s also been argued that cultural heritage is not necessarily synonymous with “living” culture and that preserving and promoting certain cultural heritage practices can sometimes be detrimental to a society’s ability to adapt to changes. It’s also been pointed out that a cultural heritage focus can lead to a reduction of the freedoms and rights enjoyed by citizens.

There are a number of challenges that confront the concept of cultural heritage, but there are also ways that it can be used to strengthen the ties between people and foster more vibrant and tolerant societies. In the end, what’s crucial is a balance between universalism and cultural specificity. This is evident in the tension between the pull to conceive cultural heritage as universally valuable and therefore requiring consequent universal rights or permissions, and the push for more culturally specific restrictions that acknowledge the special claims of particular cultural groups.