The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum

The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum

This paper outlines the interplay of politics and poetics in relation to the history of the iconic ‘Bushman’ diorama at the South African Museum, now part of Iziko Museums of South Africa. From 1960 to 2001 the diorama, representing a hunter-gatherer encampment in the Karoo, was on public view and d...

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Détails bibliographiques
Dans:URI:https://journals.openedition.org/iss,
Auteur principal: Davison, Patricia
Format: Article ou chapitre numérique
Langue:Anglais
Publié: ICOFOM Study Series 2018
Sujets:
muséologie
diorama
Bochiman
South African Museum
museology
Bushman
Accès en ligne:Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
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record_format openedition
spelling openedition-oai:revues.org:iss_921 https://doi.org/10.4000/iss.921 urn:doi:10.4000/iss.921 en https://journals.openedition.org/iss/921 2018-10-26T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/h5mw All rights reserved The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum ICOFOM Study Series ICOM - International Council of Museums info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2306-4161 info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2309-1290 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/iss Davison, Patricia muséologie diorama Bochiman South African Museum museology diorama Bushman South African Museum This paper outlines the interplay of politics and poetics in relation to the history of the iconic ‘Bushman’ diorama at the South African Museum, now part of Iziko Museums of South Africa. From 1960 to 2001 the diorama, representing a hunter-gatherer encampment in the Karoo, was on public view and during this time responses to the display changed, as did the wider political context of South Africa and the conceptual context of museology. After prolonged controversy, in 2001 the diorama was closed to the public, pending possible rethinking and reopening. The diorama, however, remained closed. The conceptual and political shifts that underpinned the ascendance and decline of the diorama are traced, focusing attention on power-relations and ethics, while also discussing aesthetic resonance. Ironically, the closed diorama remains open to intellectual and creative engagement. As an archive, it has current relevance for museum studies. Cet article définit l’interaction existant entre politique et poétique dans le cadre de l’histoire du diorama iconique Bochiman du South African Museum, lequel fait désormais partie maintenant des Musées Iziko d’Afrique du Sud. De 1960 à 2001, le diorama, qui représente un campement de chasseurs-cueilleurs dans le Karoo, était visible par le grand public; pendant cette période, les réactions à cette présentation ont beaucoup évolué de même que le plus vaste contexte politique d’Afrique du Sud ainsi que le contexte conceptuel de la muséologie. En 2001, après de longues controverses, le diorama a été fermé au public dans l’attente d’une nouvelle approche qui permettrait une éventuelle réouverture. Le diorama est cependant resté fermé. Les virages conceptuel et politique qui sous-tendent l’ascendance et le déclin du diorama sont évidents et attirent l’attention sur le rapport entre pouvoir et éthique, sans oublier bien sûr les discussions sur la résonnance esthétique. Ironiquement, bien que fermé le diorama n’en reste pas moins ouvert à une approche intellectuelle et créative. Il présente, en tant qu’archive, un intérêt certain pour les études muséographiques contemporaines.
collection OpenEdition Journal
language Anglais
format Article ou chapitre numérique
building 0/Bibliothèque numérique/
1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/
topic muséologie
diorama
Bochiman
South African Museum
museology
diorama
Bushman
South African Museum
spellingShingle muséologie
diorama
Bochiman
South African Museum
museology
diorama
Bushman
South African Museum
Davison, Patricia
The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum
description This paper outlines the interplay of politics and poetics in relation to the history of the iconic ‘Bushman’ diorama at the South African Museum, now part of Iziko Museums of South Africa. From 1960 to 2001 the diorama, representing a hunter-gatherer encampment in the Karoo, was on public view and during this time responses to the display changed, as did the wider political context of South Africa and the conceptual context of museology. After prolonged controversy, in 2001 the diorama was closed to the public, pending possible rethinking and reopening. The diorama, however, remained closed. The conceptual and political shifts that underpinned the ascendance and decline of the diorama are traced, focusing attention on power-relations and ethics, while also discussing aesthetic resonance. Ironically, the closed diorama remains open to intellectual and creative engagement. As an archive, it has current relevance for museum studies.
author Davison, Patricia
author_facet Davison, Patricia
author_sort Davison, Patricia
title The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum
title_short The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum
title_full The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum
title_fullStr The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum
title_full_unstemmed The Politics and Poetics of the Bushman Diorama at the South African Museum
title_sort politics and poetics of the bushman diorama at the south african museum
publisher ICOFOM Study Series
publishDate 2018
container_title URI:https://journals.openedition.org/iss
url https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/iss.921
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/iss/921
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