13 May 2024
Exhibiting history always poses challenges for practitioners at museums, as the memories of contemporary witnesses interact with the narratives of the exhibitions. In the case of the Soviet period of Lithuanian history, the treatment of its legacies is particularly difficult as the narratives posed in the exhibitions might conflict with the memories of their visitors. How can the difficult experience of occupation, deportation, and violence be combined with ordinary or even positive memories of everyday life? What objects from the Soviet period can be found in museum collections, and how does their selection (pre)determine the view of history in exhibitions? What are the possibilities of illuminating the recent past in a multifaceted manner without repeating old myths and creating new ones?
Past
29 September 2023
An increasing number of researchers and practitioners agree that museum visitors are not only passive consumers of history, but can also contribute to its creation, preservation and communication. This opportunity becomes extremely significant when developing museum narratives about complex historical periods that receive controversial public assessments. How can we ensure that these narratives include different voices and help to unite rather than divide various groups of society?
Past