Reclaiming the Past and the Present: The Presentation and Representation of Ethnic Minorities in Cultural Institutions

Sammanfattning: Cultural institutions such as museums and art galleries are important agents in educating the broader public on matters where current awareness is missing, inadequate or inaccurate. In this study, I focus on one such matter, which is the knowledge regarding ethnic minorities, their history, traditions, and current challenges. My primary focus is on how cultural institutions utilise their exhibitions, and how they approach their exhibitions’ narratives, atmosphere, and the aspect of respect. In my research, I examined cultural institutions dedicated to one of two ethnic groups – the Sámi or the Roma people. I conducted qualitative research using the multi-sited ethnography method, studying five different institutions across the Czech Republic and Norway. These institutions were the Museum of Romani Culture in Brno and the exhibition “The Open Road” in Prague in the Czech Republic, and the Sámi Museum, the Sámi Centre for Contemporary Art, and the Sámi Art Collection in Karasjok, Norway. My research revealed several key findings. First, the features of each exhibition’s narrative are heavily dependent on its context – this includes the prior knowledge of the institution’s visitors, the socio-cultural environment, the goals of the institution and discourse regarding curatorial practices. Second, the exhibition’s atmosphere not only engages the visitors but also assists the particular community to reclaim the narratives related to them. Finally, for an exhibition or the institution to be respectful, it is necessary to ensure collaboration with the community being represented and make their voices and perspectives lead the narrative and the way artefacts are presented. By representing ethnic minorities with consideration to all three aspects – the narrative, the atmosphere and the respect – the cultural institutions can create an environment which makes a lasting impression on its audience and creates a positive impact on both insiders and outsiders of the represented communities.