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Objective View of Contested Collection is a meta-exhibition allowing visitors to embody a museum object from their own cultural context to approach the topic of repatriation with an empathetic lens.








Timeline
Research October to December 2023
Design and Fabrication Feburary to April 2024

Technical Details
Mixed Media Installation with:
Soundscape
Material Wall
Projected Narrative:
   Animated and rendered with UE5
   Projection Mapped with MadMapper


Design Objectives


  1. Foster empathy through embodied experience by designing an interactive journey that allows visitors to experience the complex life cycle of cultural objects, from auction and transport to display and repatriation. This approach aims to cultivate empathy by connecting visitors personally to the journey and treatment of these objects.
  2. Encourage Critical Reflection on Museum Narratives cby creating an immersive experience that provides an alternative to the perception that view museums as objective information dispensers. By guiding visitors to embody objects from their own cultural backgrounds, encourage critical reflection on the roles museums play in presenting contested cultural items.
  3. Promote awareness of repatriation and cultural sensitivity by highlighting real cases of repatriation and provide a contextualized view of these objects’ histories. Through this approach, raise awareness of repatriation and the ethical considerations surrounding the stewardship and return of cultural heritage items.



Background Research


The project started with in-depth research into the existing museum framework through various lens such as material culture, historical purpose , analysis of space and its power or knowledge over others. It is often branded as a place where objective information is presented alongside the art and objects from different countries and respective countries. When in reality, it upholds a very western and oftentimes colonial point of view that creates a disconnect with visitors of other backgrounds that may have subjective and personal connections with what is presented. 

However, growing concert of representation as well as the methods in which these cultural objects are obtained has sparked action among government and institutions to start return or repatriate to their rightful place, culture, or individuals.

The question is as how do we as visitors approach contested objects?



Concept 


An immersive installation that brings visitor through the journey of how an object arrives at the museum. It starts with audio and tactile hints of auction, transportation and conservation that leads to visitors to inside a display box at a museum space, before providing more concrete examples of actual cases of repatriation in a storage space. By experiencing the process and recontextualization an object undergoes, it prompts a deeper understanding of the complexities attached to contested cultural objects by relating it to personal emotions and experiences.











Designing the Space




Planning Exhibition Flow Based on Content  <-->   Test Variations in 3D   <-->  Test Scale in Actual Space  <-->  Adjust Floor Plan and Dimension for Construction





Creating the Physical and Digital Contents



Material Tests

Testing Effects and Narration in UE5


Construction





Video Overview of the Experience









Credits


Special Thanks to:

Tatsuki Hoshihara - Design and Fabrication Support
Alexander Porter - Thesis Advisor
Daniel Shiffman - Thesis Advisor
Victor Morales - Narrative and UE5 Consultant
César Loayza - Voice
Vera Zhong - Voice 
Yuxiang Cheng - Voice
Henrique Bastos Stockler - Voice
Others I am grateful for:

Brett Peterson
Briana Jones
Deepa Paulus
Emily Conrad
Dr. Marisa Karyl Franz
Winslow Porter
... and so many more!