Inclusive Collections
Institutional Caring for Community-based Art Works: Edgar Calel ‘The Echo of an Ancient Form of Knowledge’ as Case Study for an Inclusive Museum Collection
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rachel Mader, Siri Peyer
The 2021 inclusion of the work The Echo of an Ancient Form of Knowledge ( Ru k' ox k'ob'el jun ojer etemab'el) by artist Edgar Calel in the Tate Modern collection caused a stir due to its modalities: The material transience of part of the installation is one of the challenges, the model of ‘custodianship’, with which the Tate Modern's role is framed, is another. This redefinition of the relationship between institution/collection - artist - work, the knowledge complexes inherent therein and the communities involved (the Maya Kaqchikel) require new ways of interaction between the involved actors. The Tate is not the owner, but the custodian of the work for a period of 13 years and is not only committed to the appropriate care of the work and to supporting the local community, whose knowledge and rituals have flowed into this work. Its institutional logic and the working methods embedded in it must also be adapted to the requirements of these kind works in a collection. These artistic as well as politically intended settings require highly individual negotiation processes and also demand ethical considerations. Based on this example, I discuss on how these new responsibilities challenge the museum towards a more inclusive way of collecting. Thereby I refer to observations from the research project ‘Collecting the Ephemeral. Prerequisites and Possibilities for Making Performance Art Last" (2019-2023), where it was observed that a change in artistic practice was often the starting point for more inclusionary practices in institutions.
Mental Health in the Archive: A Historical Analysis of Mental Health Treatment through the Ages View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Vicky Palmer, Adam Barnard
This study provides a historically informed analysis of mental health treatment from publicly available library press archives and Asylum Museum Archives. Using archival material, the research examines the emergence of disciplinary regimes of mental health treatment in a historical context. Previous historically informed archival work has lacked the philosophical depth and theoretical framework in the formation of current approaches to mental health and offender management. The aim is to expose contemporary service delivery through a reconstruction of the past. The project involved accessing public records of reporting following the introduction of the 1890 Lunacy Act, and the perceived psychic crisis of fin de siècle changes of treatment regimes, from the criminally insane to those in clear need of medical intervention. Immersion in the historical records brings to light and constructs new meaning from existing resources and shares hidden collections of information that might otherwise remain un-accessed and silenced. The approach used was different to previous and conventional approaches and utilised an interpretive thematic analysis by examining the present from the learning of the past, looking at the historical emergence of discourse of therapeutic interventions, and using archival material to illuminate contemporary language and practices in the crossover between mental health and serious offending. This is useful for practitioners, students, academics, policy makers and the general public to understand mental health's impact on offending and the treatment regimens associated with these challenging areas. It will contribute to opening a wider debate on mental health, wellbeing and community cohesion.
