Dani's Day Thirteen Reflections

June 23rd, 2016

Journal

10am-12pm

Maeve and I updated the blog.

Lunch

12:00pm - 12:30 pm

Observations

12:30pm-2:30pm


Maeve and I observed/listened in on the visitors in the other galleries. The other galleries were fairly empty. While in Vlisco, I overheard an older white women providing context for her friend. She described the wax prints as abstract because they didn't always obviously aesthetically match the meaning that was defined on the labels. She informed her friend that the clothes weren't usually displayed like they are now because they're still worn. The woman also explained that the dresses weren't meant for everyday wear but for special occasions. They both seemed really intrigued by the Vlisco show.

After I started feeling like it was becoming too obvious that I was listening in on their conversation because we were the only people in there, I left and paid a visit to the Kere gallery. A group of older white people were reading the labels out loud to each other. They were shocked to read that Kere uses parts of pots for ventilation and lighting purposes. They also admired what they believed to be his deep desire to pass knowledge down from generation to generation. In general, the visitors seemed to engage and interact with this exhibit the most. This could probably be due to the gallery's use of multimedia. This gallery provided multiple ways for visitors to engage with Kere's work aesthetically and contextually.

Transcriptions

3:00pm-5:00pm


I returned to my apartment to work on the transcriptions. My first interview was twelve minutes long and literally took two hours to transcribe. I plan to transcribe at least one interview a day, given how much time it takes. I don't want to spend the entire analysis week translating the data instead of analyzing it with the help of literature and other resources concerning representations of Africa in museums.

The first interview involved two white women between the ages of 60 and 70. One of the women was an African Studies professor while the other knew virtually nothing about African culture or history. In many ways, their differences in experiences made the entire interview more well-rounded. They were able to bring a variety of perspectives to the conversation. The woman who is an African Studies professor was happy to see that the PMA was using prompts because she knows it's not in the museum's nature. She felt it was important to provide the audience with the context necessary to understand the pieces. Her friend felt that without the prompts she would have been lost. They both felt that the prompts were helpful but could have provided more context. The woman who is an African Studies professor felt that the use of interactive technology and prompts was a sign of progress but understands that the museum must balance the desire to represent art in aesthetic and informative ways. They both asked me questions as well. One was mostly interested in how many visitors have come to the exhibit because she suspected that the attendance rate was low given that it's in the Perelman. The other was curious about whether or not any effort has been made to return the artifacts to their countries of origin. She compared the acquisition of most of the artifacts in the exhibit to the Nazi acquisition and destruction of art during WWII.

I really enjoyed interviewing people. I feel like I need to learn to shut up though. I get too excited and forget that it's an interview. It felt more like a conversation, but I don't want to influence their responses.