Tony Bennett, who works on museum theories, defines 19th century museum as an “exhibitionary complex”. 2 This definition frames the museum as the art institution that represents the complex relationship of power and reality. Specifically, the theories of display technologies and narratives focuses on the objects to reveal the dynamics of to be seen and unseen, or the contextualization of their visibility within the museum complex, as a reflection of this relationship.
This seminar is about the role of the museum, as an exhibitionary complex, in the relationship of power and reality. The discussion will focus on “art object in the museum”. The effect of the role of the museum as an exhibitionary complex on the art object is an important question. But also, the ways that art objects challenge and transform the power of museum, supposedly built on reality, are also worth to discuss. Hence, from a historical perspective, the seminar will ask whether 21st museum is still an exhibitionary complex? Or the new formations of art radically challenge the museum? A dialog about the museum, hopefully will contribute to an understanding about curatorial practices of today’s contemporary art world.
1. Tony Bennett, The Birth of Museum, Routledge, 1995.
1. Tony Bennett, The Birth of Museum, Routledge, 1995.
Attending this seminar is limited by 20 participants. To learn the
conditions for participation in a single seminar:
apply@curatingcontemporaryart.org
Ayşe H. Köksal is an art historian and she is a faculty member of Faculty of Architecture and Design, Ozyegin University, as associate professor. After graduated from History Department, Boğaziçi University, Köksal conducted her MA thesis on museum and technology in Maastrich University, as a part of the ESST program. Her PhD thesis is about the history of the Museum of Painting and Sculpture in the Art History Department, ITU. As Fulbrighter, she also advanced her researches at Tuft University (Boston). She is currently a member of AICA and College Art Association. She regularly writes on contemporary art, musuem and art institutions. Her interest areas cover art museum, contemporary art worlds, memory and historiography of art.