I have so many childhood memories of visiting museums. My favourite exhibit was the bathysphere at the Royal BC Museum. The exhibit was a collection of activities that left you with the impression you had joined an expedition to the bottom of the sea. There was an elevator that took you to the bottom of the sea and it was my favourite part. You entered the elevator, I think perhaps we were entering the bathysphere, and after the doors shut tight you would begin your descent into the depths of the ocean. You would start at the surface, full of light, and gradually descend into the dark depths of the 'ocean' passing all sorts of bioluminescent creatures. I think there was then a malfunction in the bathysphere that needed solving and then you would ascend through a different elevator and continue on your museum journey. I loved that exhibit and would go through it again and again.
I have other memories from the Museum of Anthropology of viewing endless drawers full of artefacts of pre-colonial BC life. These are the collections I have been thinking of lately. I loved looking into the lives of people from so long ago. It never occurred to me that those collections would have been viewed with an entirely different feeling by the ancestors of the collection's focus. I don't know when I realised the world didn't revolve around me, my dad would probably suggest never, but I have started paying attention to all the conversations that seem to be taking off about the rightful place of museum collections.
The other day (one of my favourite expressions) I had a discussion with a friend about a show they had watched about combatting racism. The show ran a race, you might have seen a youtube clip similar, where the racer's starting points were advanced one step with each announced criteria that were met. So with each privilege a person lives they advance one step. Then an unequal race is run. We had a big discussion about how my friend felt the show was great but my friend felt left out. As a woman and someone who had grown up just above the poverty line, where was her acknowledgement of less privilege? She also felt that she would be shouted down for her feelings. We had the longest and at times uncomfortable discussion. I think that uncomfort is a-coming. Big time. Elgin's marbles, the Gweagal shield, the Benin bronzes and what of all the anthropology collections I loved as a child? I am off to look into that now.
Interesting discussions:
The 'Gweagal Shield' - a story of Australia
| Rodney Kelly (owner of image) is leading a movement for the return of his people's history |
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| Image V & A Museum |
Slaver! Invader! The tour guide who tells the ugly truth about museum portraits Article by The Guardian
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