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Exotic
This eBook is part of the TREeBOOK Gallery Collection.
It was created in 2009 during the Master of Science at the University of
        Lugano inspired on an article by Professor Anna Lisa Tota.
     All rights reserved by the artists. Feel free to share this eBook.
  To contact TREeBOOK Gallery please write to bia@freeyourideas.net
            TREeBOOK Gallery is supported by Free Your Ideas.
                         www.freeyourideas.net.
Exotic
Exotic
The word exotic means
“from another part of the
 world, foreign, unusual,
    different, strange,
   fantastic”. The word
fantastic means strange,
   extravagant, bizzare,
    unreal, wonderful,
       remarkable...
Exotic
“Exotic”
    and other words
  that clearly express
 a point of view about
      “theOther”
are frequently used by
  museums to define
      exhibitions.
Exotic
But, you already know it,
  “theOther” is just a
      point of view!
   In the same time,
  for other museums,
       “the exotic”
  could be considered
      pretty regular.
Exotic
Differences are
just differences.
  They are not
  good or bad,
better or worse.
  They are just
  differences.
Exotic
In museums,
      “theOther”,
    “the strange”,
“the foreign” is shown
  because is through
  knowing different
 cultures that we can
 understand our own.
Exotic
We are just
  one culture in a
world of possibilities,
 ours is not by any
means the only one!
Exotic
When museums forget
     this simple rule
  they move their role
   in society from an
   educational entity
 towards a piece of the
entertainment industry.
Exotic
The problem with the
   entertainment
 industry is the fact
that, sooner or later,
   differences will
 become a source of
      easy profit.
Exotic
Showing “the different”,
“the strange”, “theOther”
  they obtain profit and
    stimulate the cult of
   “horror circus” where
 things are shown just for
 the pleasure of curiosity
        and money.
Exotic
So before tagging
something as exotic
museums must ask
    themselves:
Exotic
Exotic from which point
of view? How to tell this
 from a neutral point of
 view? Which points of
  view were considered
  and which were not?
Exotic
Is this message
something expected from
    a museum? Is the
  museum giving a good
 contribution to society
with this message? Is this
really exotic? For whom?
Exotic
“Discovering
   America” is a
meaningless history
 for native people
  who lived there
     before the
    Europeans.
Exotic
For ancient Brazilian
natives on a tropical
 beach, the “exotic
new world” came on
    board those
 Portuguese ships,
      in 1500.
Exotic
Brazilians are a mix of
   three antropological
elements: native Indians,
 Africans and Europeans
 but Brazilian Museums
   frequently reinforce
      the dominant
       “white man”
      point of view.
Exotic
We tend to assume
   the museums
  point of view as
“the truth” because
   they have the
  authority to talk
   about history.
Exotic
But history
  belongs to people
    not just to the
museums which have
    the authority
 to tell us about our
     own culture.
Exotic
Exhibitions are
  exactly someone
else's interpretation
     of a theme,
   not necessarily
     “the truth”.
Exotic
For human brains
 it is easier to assume
museums point of view
   as “the truth” than
      to construct it
       by ourselves
  because it requires
 much more energy.
Exotic
It's hard to have
an active behavior of
  building our own
    interpretation
  about exhibitions
also because nobody
 wants to challenge
museums authority.
Exotic
Museums are
    sui generis writers
          because
    telling us histories
   through exhibitions
 they become a kind of
    “technology of the
human beings memory”.
Exotic
When we remember a
  fact and tell it to
someone, we tend to
modify it according our
    perceptions.
    This is called
 “technology of the
      memory”.
Exotic
Good museums
  and good exhibitions
must avoid to interpret
cultures and “theOther”
but stimulate visitors to
 interpret the message
     for themselves.
Exotic
In this sense,
   museums could be
 considered as a (good)
school or a teacher who
stimulates her/his pupils
without influencing their
    development of
      knowledge.
Exotic
Museums act
    at the level of
  memory formation
 so because of them
people will remember
       - or not -
     something.
Exotic
Because of them
  people will remember
    things and history
from many points of view
    or under a miopic
     and manipulated
      point of view.
Exotic
Museums must keep a
  neutral point of view
  but it is a hard work
 because museums are
  made of people and
people have feelings and
   behave according
         to them.
Exotic
In order to achieve a
    neutral position
    museums can do
      many things
all related to including
different points of view
         in their
  “putting on show”.
Exotic
Behind a neutral
    behavior, there is
 certainly a clear mission
   and a strategic plan
      to remind staff
the reason to work there
   and the role of the
   museums in society.
Exotic
The shift from
  “treasure guardians”
   to an “active-social-
    educational actor”
        is based on
  the strategic need of
rethinking the museums
      role in society.
Exotic
Also the inclusion
  of technology in
 museums is part of
the process to bring
museums alive and
   more friendly
   to the citizen.
Exotic
But we also observe
  the movement to
transform museums
    as part of the
   entertainment
      industry.
Exotic
In this sense,
  there is a risk to
 manipulate history
and facts to produce
       “news”
that could generate
      audience.
Exotic
Attention:
a museum is not a
     “cabaret”
even if it could be
    alive, funny,
friendly and full of
    exhibitions!
Exotic
But museums
must be careful to mix
     “the show” to
      “the history”
without manipulanting
the facts just to have a
       successful
   marketing case.
Exotic
Museums exist because
  there are different
 people and cultures
  to be represented
     in the world.
Any other mission must
   be secondary for
 museums that want
      to be alive.
Exotic
Introducing hardwares
     and softwares in
 museums could convert
them into modern places
 but just one thing could
      really make the
 difference between the
        old and the
contemporary museums:
Exotic
Just
  people(ware)
   could make
the difference in
    museums.
Exotic
The strategy of
    museums must
 include goals related
    to ongoing staff
training alongside the
  educational aspects
  aimed at the visitor.
Exotic
If people
   (staff and visitors)
understand what exactly
    is the role of the
  museums in society
  maybe an impartial
    position could be
  achieved by them.
Exotic
Exotic
Free Your Ideas
                                              www.freeyourideas.net



                                     Created and Produced by Bia Simonassi
                                 Inspired on Anna Lisa Tota, Tiziano Terzani
                                            and Emmanuel Levinas thinking
                                               Revised by William Johnston
                                  Images by Peggie Wolfe at Deviantart.com
                                            Promoted by FreeYourIdeas.net
                                Find more at TreeBookGallery.blogspot.com




          This eBook is part of the TREeBOOK Gallery Collection.
It was created in 2009 during the Master of Science at the University of
        Lugano inspired on an article by Professor Anna Lisa Tota.
     All rights reserved by the artists. Feel free to share this eBook.
  To contact TREeBOOK Gallery please write to bia@freeyourideas.net
            TREeBOOK Gallery is supported by Free Your Ideas.
                         www.freeyourideas.net.
De Luxe Edition
   Bia Simonassi
Switzerland 2010
Exotic

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Exotic

  • 2. This eBook is part of the TREeBOOK Gallery Collection. It was created in 2009 during the Master of Science at the University of Lugano inspired on an article by Professor Anna Lisa Tota. All rights reserved by the artists. Feel free to share this eBook. To contact TREeBOOK Gallery please write to bia@freeyourideas.net TREeBOOK Gallery is supported by Free Your Ideas. www.freeyourideas.net.
  • 5. The word exotic means “from another part of the world, foreign, unusual, different, strange, fantastic”. The word fantastic means strange, extravagant, bizzare, unreal, wonderful, remarkable...
  • 7. “Exotic” and other words that clearly express a point of view about “theOther” are frequently used by museums to define exhibitions.
  • 9. But, you already know it, “theOther” is just a point of view! In the same time, for other museums, “the exotic” could be considered pretty regular.
  • 11. Differences are just differences. They are not good or bad, better or worse. They are just differences.
  • 13. In museums, “theOther”, “the strange”, “the foreign” is shown because is through knowing different cultures that we can understand our own.
  • 15. We are just one culture in a world of possibilities, ours is not by any means the only one!
  • 17. When museums forget this simple rule they move their role in society from an educational entity towards a piece of the entertainment industry.
  • 19. The problem with the entertainment industry is the fact that, sooner or later, differences will become a source of easy profit.
  • 21. Showing “the different”, “the strange”, “theOther” they obtain profit and stimulate the cult of “horror circus” where things are shown just for the pleasure of curiosity and money.
  • 23. So before tagging something as exotic museums must ask themselves:
  • 25. Exotic from which point of view? How to tell this from a neutral point of view? Which points of view were considered and which were not?
  • 27. Is this message something expected from a museum? Is the museum giving a good contribution to society with this message? Is this really exotic? For whom?
  • 29. “Discovering America” is a meaningless history for native people who lived there before the Europeans.
  • 31. For ancient Brazilian natives on a tropical beach, the “exotic new world” came on board those Portuguese ships, in 1500.
  • 33. Brazilians are a mix of three antropological elements: native Indians, Africans and Europeans but Brazilian Museums frequently reinforce the dominant “white man” point of view.
  • 35. We tend to assume the museums point of view as “the truth” because they have the authority to talk about history.
  • 37. But history belongs to people not just to the museums which have the authority to tell us about our own culture.
  • 39. Exhibitions are exactly someone else's interpretation of a theme, not necessarily “the truth”.
  • 41. For human brains it is easier to assume museums point of view as “the truth” than to construct it by ourselves because it requires much more energy.
  • 43. It's hard to have an active behavior of building our own interpretation about exhibitions also because nobody wants to challenge museums authority.
  • 45. Museums are sui generis writers because telling us histories through exhibitions they become a kind of “technology of the human beings memory”.
  • 47. When we remember a fact and tell it to someone, we tend to modify it according our perceptions. This is called “technology of the memory”.
  • 49. Good museums and good exhibitions must avoid to interpret cultures and “theOther” but stimulate visitors to interpret the message for themselves.
  • 51. In this sense, museums could be considered as a (good) school or a teacher who stimulates her/his pupils without influencing their development of knowledge.
  • 53. Museums act at the level of memory formation so because of them people will remember - or not - something.
  • 55. Because of them people will remember things and history from many points of view or under a miopic and manipulated point of view.
  • 57. Museums must keep a neutral point of view but it is a hard work because museums are made of people and people have feelings and behave according to them.
  • 59. In order to achieve a neutral position museums can do many things all related to including different points of view in their “putting on show”.
  • 61. Behind a neutral behavior, there is certainly a clear mission and a strategic plan to remind staff the reason to work there and the role of the museums in society.
  • 63. The shift from “treasure guardians” to an “active-social- educational actor” is based on the strategic need of rethinking the museums role in society.
  • 65. Also the inclusion of technology in museums is part of the process to bring museums alive and more friendly to the citizen.
  • 67. But we also observe the movement to transform museums as part of the entertainment industry.
  • 69. In this sense, there is a risk to manipulate history and facts to produce “news” that could generate audience.
  • 71. Attention: a museum is not a “cabaret” even if it could be alive, funny, friendly and full of exhibitions!
  • 73. But museums must be careful to mix “the show” to “the history” without manipulanting the facts just to have a successful marketing case.
  • 75. Museums exist because there are different people and cultures to be represented in the world. Any other mission must be secondary for museums that want to be alive.
  • 77. Introducing hardwares and softwares in museums could convert them into modern places but just one thing could really make the difference between the old and the contemporary museums:
  • 79. Just people(ware) could make the difference in museums.
  • 81. The strategy of museums must include goals related to ongoing staff training alongside the educational aspects aimed at the visitor.
  • 83. If people (staff and visitors) understand what exactly is the role of the museums in society maybe an impartial position could be achieved by them.
  • 86. Free Your Ideas www.freeyourideas.net Created and Produced by Bia Simonassi Inspired on Anna Lisa Tota, Tiziano Terzani and Emmanuel Levinas thinking Revised by William Johnston Images by Peggie Wolfe at Deviantart.com Promoted by FreeYourIdeas.net Find more at TreeBookGallery.blogspot.com This eBook is part of the TREeBOOK Gallery Collection. It was created in 2009 during the Master of Science at the University of Lugano inspired on an article by Professor Anna Lisa Tota. All rights reserved by the artists. Feel free to share this eBook. To contact TREeBOOK Gallery please write to bia@freeyourideas.net TREeBOOK Gallery is supported by Free Your Ideas. www.freeyourideas.net.
  • 87. De Luxe Edition Bia Simonassi Switzerland 2010