Indigenous Collections and Exhibitions

This course focuses on theoretical and practical issues relating to Indigenous collections and exhibitions, drawing its interdisciplinary approach and methodology from the fields of anthropology and cultural studies as well as museum studies. This allows students to develop a critical understanding of the creation, function, histories, politics and contemporary meanings of objects; the representation of cultures in museum displays and other public venues; shifting relations between source communities and museum; problems of landscape, place, and space; art and aesthetics; visual anthropology; and issues of representation, including photographic representation. The specific emphasis is on collections and exhibitions relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that are held or displayed in Australia or overseas, but specific attention is also given to other ethnographic and historical collections and displays. Issues examined during the course include the history of collecting and exhibitions, community representation, ownership and intellectual property, repatriation, negotiation, preservation, and modes of display.