Main entry:

Hein, Hilde S., 1932- author.

Title & Author:

The museum in transition : a philosophical perspective / Hilde S. Hein.

Publication:

Washington : Smithsonian Institution Press, [2000]
©2000

Description:

xiv, 203 pages ; 24 cm

Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 153-199) and index.
Introduction: From object to experience -- Museum typology -- Museums and communities -- Transcending the object -- Museum experience and the "real thing" -- Museum ethics : the good life of the public servant -- Museums and education -- The aesthetic dimension of museums -- Conclusion: The museum in transition.
Current Copyright Fee: GBP0.80 0.

Summary:

"During the past thirty years, museums of all kinds have tried to become more responsive to the interests of a diverse public by shifting from the presentation of real things to the production of experiences. With exhibitions becoming people-centered, idea-oriented, and contextualized, the boundaries between museums and the "real" world are becoming eroded, and museum professionals now admit to having a hand in the creation of reality. Design and spectacle have become central elements of display, while the integrity of the object, once the focal point of museum exhibition, ultimately has given way to more interpretive devices. Setting the transition from object-centered to story-centered exhibitions in a philosophical framework, Hilde S. Hein contends that glorifying the museum experience at the expense of objects deflects the museum's educative, ethical, and aesthetic roles. Referring to institutions ranging from art museums to theme parks, she shows how deployment has replaced amassing as a goal and discusses how museums now actively shape and and create values. She is critical of the dominating influence on all museums of an aesthetic of art works in art museums and proposes a more integrative museum aesthetic. Suggesting the current emphasis on experience and multiple perspectives may be replacing an old monolithic value with a new one, Hein urges museums to amplify and sharpen their distinctions from one another. She argues that rather than striving to be all-inclusive, they should render more poignant, more precise, and more precious the magnitude of their audience's differences and the multitude of its agreements"-- from back cover.

ISBN:

156098371X (alk. paper)
9781560983712 (alk. paper)
1560983965 (pbk.)
9781560983965 (pbk.)

Subject:

Museums Philosophy.
Museums Environmental aspects.
Museums Technological innovations.
Communication and culture.
Museums Educational aspects.
Musées Philosophie.
Musées Aspect éducatif.
Musées Innovations.
Communication et culture.
Musées Aspect de l'environnement.
Museum
Philosophie
Musea.
Theorieën.
Filosofische aspecten.
Pedagogische aspecten.
Vernieuwing.
Museus (filosofia)
Ação educativa-cultural.
Inovações tecnológicas.
Comunicação.
Musée.
Aspect pédagogique.
Rôle éducatif.
Culture.
Communauté

Added entries:

Smithsonian Institution. Press, publisher.

Holdings:

Location: Library main 213790
Call No.: AM7 .H45 2000
Status: Available