Performing a difficult past in a museum: The History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11649/sm.1949

Keywords:

performativity, museum, Bosnia and Herzegovina, difficult past, memory, reconciliation, art, exhibitions

Abstract

Performing a difficult past in a museum: The History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

This paper examines the case of the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo to explore the entanglements of the somewhat contradictory concept of a history museum as a research institution that aims to educate visitors about the past, as opposed to an artistic performativity that provides sensory engagement and a reliving of past moments. Drawing on the performative paradigm, it focuses on the ways in which a past is made into a present to facilitate experience and bodily re-enactments. The History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina has recently embraced new museology approaches that stem from the performative turn. For providing a platform where people can meet and talk about the past, museums have been viewed as promising places for dealing with difficult memories. Artistic performativity has also been valued for opening ways to reconciliation. However, given historical exhibitions’ and artistic installations’ different approaches towards the past, this paper seeks to address some questions that arise from performing difficult pasts in a museum. How do narratives conveyed by exhibitions and artworks interact and influence the overall narratives offered by museums? Does their entanglement open up ways for reconciliation and more inclusive narratives about a difficult past? This paper examines how Brian Eno’s multimedia piece “77 Million Paintings” and the sound installation “Bedtime Stories” interact with the narrative of the permanent exhibition “Besieged Sarajevo” and influence the overall experience of visitors. It suggests that artistic performativity enhances visitors’ attentiveness and sensibility and contributes to their understanding of museum exhibitions in universalistic terms, not necessarily leading to reconciliation but instead opening up ways for the multidirectionality of memories.

 

Performowanie trudnej przeszłości w muzeum. Muzeum Historyczne Bośni i Hercegowiny

Autorka analizuje Muzeum Historyczne Bośni i Hercegowiny, badając powiązania w pewnym stopniu sprzecznej koncepcji muzeum historycznego, rozumianego jako instytucja badawcza, której celem jest edukowanie odwiedzających na temat przeszłości, oraz koncepcji performatywności sztuki, której zadaniem jest zaangażowanie zmysłów i umożliwienia ponownego przeżycia przeszłości. Korzystając z paradygmatu performatywnego, autorka koncentruje się na sposobach, w jakie przeszłość przekształcana jest w teraźniejszość, by umożliwić doświadczenie i cielesne odtworzenie tego, co minione. Muzeum Historyczne Bośni i Hercegowiny przyjęło niedawno nowe podejście do muzealnictwa, wynikające ze zwrotu performatywnego. Muzea uznano za właściwe miejsca do radzenia sobie z trudnymi pamięciami, zapewniające przestrzeń do spotkań i rozmów o przeszłości. Z kolei performatywność sztuki uznano z kolei za czynnik otwierający drogę do pojednania. Mimo to, biorąc pod uwagę różne podejścia do przeszłości, pojawiają się pytania dotyczące performowania trudnej przeszłości w muzeum, do których niniejszy artykuł próbuje się odnieść. W jaki sposób narracje przekazywane przez ekspozycje i działa sztuki korespondują i wpływają na ogólne narracje tworzone przez muzeum? Czy ich powiązanie otwiera drogę do pojednania i bardziej integrujących narracji o trudnej przeszłości? Autorka analizuje, w jaki sposób instalacje artystyczne, w szczególności multimedialna praca „77 Million Paintings” autorstwa Briana Eno, instalacja dźwiękowa „Opowieści na dobranoc” oraz wystawy czasowe korespondują z narracją stałej ekspozycji „Sarajewo oblężone” oraz w jaki sposób wpływają na ogólne doświadczenie zwiedzającego. Autorka konkluduje, że performatywność sztuki zwiększa uważność i wrażliwość zwiedzających oraz wpływa na ich rozumienie wystaw muzealnych w kategoriach uniwersalnych, niekoniecznie zaś prowadzi do pojednania, zamiast tego zaś toruje drogę do wielokierunkowości pamięci.

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Published

2019-12-21