I have never been in a situation before where my qualifications and experience as a museum and heritage professional were publicly denied, my work dismissed and my character vilified. I find myself in such a situation now. I have no interest in spending time on defending myself against newspaper articles that do not even pretend … Continue reading A Culture War? Observations on the Situation in Oldenburg
Author: Nicole Deufel
Heritage Researcher, Blogger, and Human Being.
A Manifesto Against Museums as ‘high culture’
The Promised Land project that I have been writing about on this blog on several occasions is nearing its conclusion. We are now finalising the ebook that captures our experiences, and for this, I have recently written a statement from the point of view of us as the German museum partner in the project. The … Continue reading A Manifesto Against Museums as ‘high culture’
Review: The Interpret Europe Conference 2019
You know that you’ve been to a fantastic conference when it stays with you for some time afterwards. That is the case with me and the recently ended Interpret Europe conference on ‘Engaging with diversity’. I would like to share some impressions, ranging from the conference location to papers to a General Assembly that has … Continue reading Review: The Interpret Europe Conference 2019
Deep Democracy as Agonistic Interpretive Practice?
Members of staff have recently returned from the last of the training weeks that are part of The Promised Land project on inclusion of refugees and migrants through cultural practice. One of them reported on a method of facilitation that was used throughout the week, which she called ‘Deep Democracy’. She described it as a … Continue reading Deep Democracy as Agonistic Interpretive Practice?
Visitor Research and the Purposes of Museums
A few days ago, the German Museum Association published guidelines on visitor research, which I was honoured to contribute to. This experience of thinking specifically about the aims and advantages of doing visitor research then combined with another recent experience to further sharpen a thought that’s been with me for some time about what museums … Continue reading Visitor Research and the Purposes of Museums
Museum (as) Space
At work, we have just completed an architectural design competition. What makes a good design for a museum building has consequently been on my mind for quite some time. Of course, to a large degree, the answer depends on the case in question. There are certain requirements that are unique to each project, stemming … Continue reading Museum (as) Space
Representation Matters: Thoughts on Visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, DC
Last December, I finally took the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC with the specific purpose of visiting its museums. I was particularly looking forward to seeing the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) which opened in 2016. Here are some thoughts and observations that I’ve had during and since my visit. … Continue reading Representation Matters: Thoughts on Visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, DC
Questions of Power
I have recently, together with a colleague, co-curated an exhibition with several groups from within civic society in our town. The topic was social exclusion. This experience has raised some thoughts for me on how much is still at stake when it comes to power-sharing in museums [1]. People continue to be excluded from museum … Continue reading Questions of Power
Questioning Ourselves – The Promised Land Project (Part II)
Earlier this year I reported on The Promised Land project of which I am part. [1] At the end of September, the steering group met to reflect on the project to date and also to discuss and prepare the training that we will host in Germany at the beginning of next year. I am so … Continue reading Questioning Ourselves – The Promised Land Project (Part II)
Facts and Multivocality: An Oxymoron?
As regular readers of this blog will know, it is my very firm belief that in heritage interpretation we must strive to tell a balanced story. This concept is also known as ‘multivocality’: presenting multiple perspectives on something. When I discussed multivocality in interpretation with my peers in the past, I have sometimes been accused … Continue reading Facts and Multivocality: An Oxymoron?
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