WORKSHOP
Brussels, sunday 21 and monday 22 of June 2020
Functions and uses of cast models within university collections: the question of preservation at all costs
The aim for participants is to discuss the concept of heritage value for academic pieces (what are the elements that give value to an object?), and from there, to establish evaluation files that make it possible to decide whether or not to preserve the piece. The participants will have the opportunity to share a synthesis of their work during the universe annual conference.
General Theme:
University heritage is an important resource for research and education, but it can also be used to bring universities closer to non-academic audiences in search of popularization. It often is a central element in the international outreach of universities, enhancing the identity of the university.
Nevertheless, there is a lack of consensus among the university community as to the extent to which university collections need to be preserved. Some think of those pieces as ‘cumbersome heritage’.
- The perception of the collections’ value varies according to the different uses and interpretations of collections and the evolution of teaching methods.
- As universities continually produce new heritage through the acquisition or production of new tools for research or teaching, the heritage potential of these objects is not always readily recognized as such by
the university community. Museum professionals are constantly under pressure to defend their collections, and to make explicit their criteria for preservation. Therefore, there is an urgent
need for university heritage professionals to develop a coherent view on the selection of objects to be preserved.
To this aim, several questions can be raised:
– In view of the large body of accumulated university collections and its continuing expansion, what should be considered heritage?
– How does academic heritage differ from that of non-university institutions?
– What criteria determine the heritage value of an object: its economic value, its embedded knowledge, the era it enlightens, its scarcity, its aesthetic qualities, its potential for museological uses?
All the informations are in the documents downloadable below.
Applications should be sent by email before 31 March 2020.
If you have any questions about the workshop, please send an email to : Universeum2020@ulb.be
