23 January 2009

I had the unique opportunity to sit-in on a meeting between representatives from the Brazilian Ministry of Culture and some Very Important People from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Brazilians -- much like myself -- had come to learn about the administrative, curatorial and educational functions of a major metropolitan museum in the United States. With them, they brought two Portuguese interpreters from the U.S. Department of State. This was clearly a big deal. 

The PMA representatives each gave a brief explanation of their department's respective duties. Interesting in their own right, the most exceptional thing that came out of the meeting, at least for me, was when the Brazilians had the floor and were given the opportunity to ask questions. One gentleman piped up; he began by thanking his gracious hosts, but then offered a statement to preface his question. Speaking through the translator, he said -- and I am definitely paraphrasing -- 'We [the Brazilians] have come to the belief that a museum is not a ends unto itself. Rather, it is a means to an end." And here was an important point.

Indeed, the main thrust of the Education Department at the PMA -- at least as far as I can see -- is to build a narrative around the collections. Through curatorial juxtaposition, labels, audio-tours, podcasts, tour guides, et cetera, the goal of a museum is not only to make the aesthetics of any given artwork accessible. Instead, the singular function of a museum as a didactic institution is to tell the visitor something of art, but more compellingly, visual culture. The museum can clue us into why an artwork looks a certain way -- that is, what about a given society informed a painting, a sculpture, or a print. In so doing, perhaps, the institution can fulfill its lofty goal of revealing something of the human condition(!). 

The Brazilian ultimately asked the PMA staff what they were doing to fulfill the Museum's role as a pedagogical tool for teaching a variety of different people about visual culture. And this is one theme that I am certain will remain consistent through the course of the internship, and consequently, the course of this blog. 

To be sure, I see the current project I am working on as one facet of this effort to democratize knowledge in a museum: For the time being, the Museum's audio stops are only available on the little device you can purchase upon entry into the building. Very few visitors take advantage of the audio-tours; I believe the number is less than 3%. So, as is becoming the trend in many museums, the PMA is working to make each audio-stop cell phone or WiFi compatible. For example, if you are standing in front of a work by Marcel Duchamp or Barnett Newman, interpreting it might be a tall-task. But with your mobile device, you could conceivably call a number, and have that work of art explained to you by an expert. And there would be no charge for the phone call; the only limitation is the battery life of your phone, or your minutes.  

Currently, we find ourselves in the early stages of implementation, but each step we take in fulfilling this goal of making the museum accessible on a number of levels brings with it a cadre of important issues. It is with this blog, dear reader, that I will attempt to raise these issues, and inform you of ensuing projects that will necessarily require reflection and contemplation.