School of Culture and Communication - Research Publications
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ItemA symptomatic museum: the new, the NMA and the culture wars( 2004-11)The National Museum of Australia’s preference for the everyday and affect is prominent in its signature exhibition, Eternity. Announced with the tag, “Stories from the emotional heart of Australia”, Eternity is meant to be immediately accessible to visitors, offering a unique experience, both sentimental and nostalgic. Eschewing objects and facts, the display names and seeks to evoke a series of sensations, feelings and emotions. Ten of these, including “Fear”, “Joy”, “Thrill”, and “Mystery”, provide the core themes which encourage visitors to interact subjectively with the Museum; to relate to the stories and images on display through, and as part of, their own personal, anecdotal, and everyday experiences. Arthur Stace is the central character in this exhibition. Although identifying closely with his hometown of Sydney, the NMA nominates Mr Stace as a national icon because of his practice of repeatedly writing the single word “eternity” in chalk on city pavements over many years. This exhibition is directive in nature. It indicates the key strategies used throughout the Museum, and demonstrates the disposition that should be adopted by visitors as they travel through the Museum. The injunction to participate, “you’re invited”, provides a space for the visitor to occupy: this is where we belong. By opening up an experience for visitors to respond to subjectively, the Museum articulates its pedagogical imperative that meaning is produced through the active and emotional engagement of the visitor with the material and stories on display.