Öppen föreläsning: Heritage/Museums in contemporary society & two case studies from Croatia

Although from the  outside the museum/heritage world may seem  static, it is at this moment   extremely dynamic. Inclusiveness, co-curating, participatory approach, sustainability and so  on are among the most used words in museum/heritage theory and practice today.

This lecture will explore these trends foremost by examining two Croatian case-studies. The first is the Museum of Broken Relationships. The MBR is 'off the beaten track' of the museum establishment but is extremely popular among visitors. It both directly and indirectly  challenges  conventional ideas of the museum by addressing the emotional side as the most important through the catharsis experience it offers to museum donors and its visitors  simultaneously. The  second case looks at diverse perceptions around museum/heritage related work as it addresses atrocities (difficult heritage). This is done by comparing the  interpretation of an ex-war area from the recent (1991-1995) conflict in the SE Europe (Croatia) with the still contested interpretation at another site (WWII memorial and museum of  the ex-Nazi  concentration camp).  By using case-studies, the lecture questions the roles and  responsibilities museums and heritage institutions have in contemporary society and   attempts to redefine some theoretical elements in human-museum-heritage relations.

Darko  Babic, (Assistant  Professor PhD  in  Museum/Heritage  Studies)  is acting    Chair    of    the    Sub-Department of Museology & Heritage Management, Faculty of Humanities & Social  Sciences University of Zagreb, Croatia. He has gained experience working as project  manager on international projects, as an organiser of museum/heritage conferences, as an  archivist and as assistant on national TV.  Beside his University tasks Darko is active in  contributing to the advancement of museum/heritage profession serving as Chairman of ICOM-ICTOP as well ICOM Croatia. His research interests include topics related to museums/heritage and development, management and interpretation.

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