Developing and Defining Migratory Practice for the Museum

Abstract

Using National Museums Liverpool (hereafter NML) as a case study, this paper will examine the challenges facing the museum as it begins to respond to the development of practice. For the purpose of this paper I intend to define migratory as the movement of artists and artwork across historical definitions of practice and curatorial departments. I will be assessing how curators can challenge accepted definitions of and by engaging with these crossings or migrations and by examining the restrictions of the current and historical classificatory and interpretative tools used in the museum. There are several historical, ingrained factors that will make practice a difficult concept for museums to embrace. Chiefly, colonialism weighs heavily on the museum conscience having played a conspicuous part in the development of the museum and specifically in the language that came to define and classify the collections found within the museum. These outdated and narrow viewpoints are still prevalent in museum today, visible in the architecture, displays and most pointedly the collections. These viewpoints, which define and separate the museum collection into high arts and low arts (Sheikh, 2006) are discussed through NML's South Asia collections, reflecting a system of museum classification and collecting that makes it difficult for the artist and the museum curator to cross between tightly controlled conceptual borders. However, it is possible to breach these borders and a series of case studies relating to changes in collecting and interpretation practice are presented for consideration. Juxtaposing the work of rural and urban artists raises questions regarding the difficulties of using outmoded classification systems when acquiring and interpreting objects for the museum, and mechanisms for approaching work that isn't exclusively fine art or ethnography are discussed. New collaborative ways of collecting and commissioning are described, suggesting ways in which museum curators can bring global perspectives to the historical and colonially influenced collections and displays. The paper concludes by offering alternative curatorial interpretation devices, reversing the accepted Western display techniques of ethnographic exhibits and fine art galleries.