Museum Studies – Boring showcases or a lifelong experience? - AHSE0027

• Title: Museum Studies – Boring showcases or a lifelong experience?
• Guaranteed by: Institute of Czech History (21-UCD)
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Actual: from 2023
• Semester: winter
• Points: 0
• E-Credits: 5
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 40 / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A.; Mgr. Eliška Pekárková
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Eliška Pekárková; Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A.
• Class: Exchange - 08.3 History; Exchange - 14.1 Political Sciences

Annotation

Last update: Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A. (05.09.2023)

The aim of this course is to understand the past and the present of such important institutions, as the museums are, for contemporary society. The course will partly consist of in-class meetings, targeting theoretical framework for the course, the beginnings of collecting artifacts, creation of some of the most significant museums in Europe and current trends in museum exhibitions, complemented by numerous visits to the main museums in Prague, facilitating on spot engagement and discussions with the essentials of museum exhibitions, its development or various roles of museum employees. Students will be able to perceive and evaluate issues occurring during exhibition preparations. Part of the course will be also dedicated to a practical group project.

Group assignment:
During the course, we will explore the museum scene in Prague. What do you personally believe Prague is lacking exhibition-wise? What topic would deserve to be presented? Divide into groups of three and think of an idea for a small exhibition. You can use e-Collections of the National Museum to choose objects which you would like to display. Your task is to think of the topic, potential objects to display and the title of the exhibition. Write a proposal and complete three of the following tasks:
• Select objects to display,
• Create a poster
• Think of an appropriate educational program for school visits or public event
• Propagation strategy – facebook post, Press Release…
• Choose one object or a group of objects and suggest the proper way of displaying it

Aim of the course

Last update: Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A. (05.09.2023)

Students will describe the creation of selected museums. They will discuss the role of museums in the 21th century and will be able to compare museum trends in the particular museums they visited during excursions. Students will also explore different career options in the museum field. 

Literature

Last update: Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A. (05.09.2023)

Ambrose, T. - Paine, C. 2012: Museum Basics. Routledge. 

Bazin, G. 1967: The Museum Age. Universe Books.

Dean, D. 1996: Museum Exhibition. Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Falk, J. H. - Dierking, L. D. 2013: The Museum Experience Revisited. Abingdon on Thames.

Falk, J. H. - Dierking, L. D. 2013: Learning from museums: visitor experiences and the making of meaning. Walnut Creek.

Halbertsma, R. B. 2003: Scholars, Travellers and Trade: The Pioneer Years of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, 1818-1840. Abingdon.

Hein, G. E. 1998: Learning in the Museum. Abingdon on Thames.

Hooper-Greenhill, E. 2004: The Educational Role of the Museum. London/New York.

Hooper-Greenhill, E. 2007: Museums and Education. Purpose, pedagogy, performance. Oxon.

Johnson, A. 2009: The Museum Educator´s Manual. Altamira Press.

Karp, I. - Lavine, S. D. 1992: Museums and Communities: The Politics of Public Culture. Smithsonian Books.

Lavine, S. D. 1991: Exhibiting Cultures: The Poetics and Politics of Museum Display. Smithsonian Books.

Norris, L. - Tisdale, R. 2013: Creativity in Museum Practice. Left Coast Press.

Paris, S. G. 2002: Perspectives on Object-Centered Learning in Museums. Taylor & Francis.

Pye, E. 2008: The Power of Touch. Handling Objects in Museum and Heritage Contexts. Left Coast Press.

Schnapp, A. 1996: The Discovery of the Past. British Museum Press.

Simon, N. 2011: The participatory museum. Museum 2.0.

Skeates, R. - McDavid, C. - Carman, J. 2012: The Oxford Handbook of Public Archaeology. Oxford University Press.

Sklenář, K. et al. 2016: The Great Book on National Museum. Národní muzeum.

Swain, H. 2007: An introduction to museum archaeology. Cambridge.

White, J. R. 2005: Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activity. Prufrock Press.

Whitehead, Ch. - Lloyd, K. - Eckersley, S. - Mason, R. 2016: Museums, Migration and Identity in Europe: Peoples, Places and Identities. Routledge. 

Wilson, D. M. 2002: The British Museum: A History. British Museum Press.

 

Other sources: http://en.esbirky.cz/

Requirements to the exam

Last update: Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A. (05.09.2023)

written exam (50%), final project (50%) 

Syllabus

Last update: Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A. (05.09.2023)

1. Introduction to the course and assignments. What is a museum? When did museums and collecting begin?

2. Beginning of a museum – case study British Museum and Louvre

3. Trends in museum exhibitions

4. Excursion - Historical building of the National Museum in Prague -permanent exhibition History. Discussing the history of National Museum in Prague

5. Excursion - National Museum  - permanent exhibition The History of the 20^th Century. Discussing all the different tasks of museum employees

6. NaFilM -National film museum Meeting. Discussing modern technologies in museums

7. Excursion - Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures, discussing dealing with postcolonialism in a museum

8. Excursion - Hrdlicka Museum of Man. Discussing the development of trends in exhibition making

9. Individual work on the group project 

10. -

11. Excursion (3 hours) - Central Bohemian Museum in Roztoky u Prahy. Discussing the issue of Public Archaeology and the role of regional museums

12. Discussing the role of museums in the 3rd millennium

13. Final project presentation

Entry requirements

Last update: PhDr. Jakub Izdný, Ph.D. (31.07.2023)

The course is intended primarily for Erasmus students.

Other recommended courses

Last update: Bc. Johana Stejskalová, M.A. (05.09.2023)