Enfilade

From the Call for Papers:

Publics of the First Public Museums: I. Institutional Sources, 18th–19th Centuries
Pubblici dei primi musei pubblici: I. Le fonti istituzionali, XVIII–XIX secolo
Rome, 19–20 October 2023

Proposals due by 30 July 2023

This international work-in-progress workshop on Publics of the First Public Museums: Institutional Sources, 18th–19th Centuries is part of the research project Visibility Reclaimed: Experiencing Rome’s First Public Museums, 1733–1870, directed by Carla Mazzarelli. It is the first of a series of three workshops that will explore research methods and sources relevant to the study of publics and their experiences in visiting the first public museums during the 18th and 19th centuries. Emphasizing an interdisciplinary and transnational perspective, the workshop aims to promote scholarly exploration beyond the mere visual dimensions commonly associated with exhibition spaces—urging researchers instead to delve into the material encounters within museum spaces, the practices of collecting, and the regulatory mechanisms implemented by institutions to govern public conduct during the 18th and 19th centuries. The first workshop revolves around research questions that arise from the analysis of sources produced directly by the institutions. These sources offer valuable insights into the institutions’ perspectives and attitudes towards the public, placing particular emphasis on:

1  Access procedures
2  Regulations governing public behaviour
3  Measures for the conservation/protection of artefacts
4  Quantitative and qualitative analysis of audiences

The workshop will explore primary sources such as regulations, access registers, visitor books, museum reports, institutional correspondences, formal requests for copying and/or studying artworks, and printed catalogues. A comparative analysis of equivalent sources from other institutions or places—libraries, academies, galleries, collections, villas and gardens as well as archaeological sites and places of worship—is encouraged.

Key questions to be addressed during the workshop include:
• How do these sources contribute to the reconstruction of the dynamic relationship between publics and museum institutions?
• Which analysis methods should be prioritised?
• How did the management of museum institutions evolve in response to the historical and political changes of the 18th and 19th centuries?

We invite submissions that align with the aforementioned areas and inquiries. Please note that:
• To facilitate dialogue among the most recent ongoing research in the field, the workshop is particularly geared towards doctoral students, young researchers, and scholars who are working on original topics and sources relevant to those proposed in the seminar.
• Preference will be given to applications that involve interdisciplinary research (e.g., the intersection of arts and history or arts and sciences) and proposals from disciplinary fields other than art history and architecture will be warmly welcomed, such as the history of institutions, the history of sciences, social sciences, and economic history.
• Case studies falling within the realm of Digital Humanities will be highly appreciated, including projects related to cataloguing, databases of sources pertaining to the publics of the first public museums or other institutions and sites that the project intends to study comparatively with museums (e.g., libraries, academies, galleries, villas, ancient and modern monuments).
• Case studies that prioritize transnational and/or transregional perspectives or address geographies that have received relatively less attention within the field of Museum Studies will also be particularly valued.

Interested participants should submit an abstract (of no more than 2000 characters, including spaces), a brief biography (maximum of 1500 characters, including spaces), and a minimum of three keywords to visibilityreclaimed@gmail.com by 30 July 2023. Notification of acceptance: 28 August 2023. Languages accepted: Italian, English, French, and Spanish.

For further information, please contact
Organising secretaries: Luca Piccoli and Ludovica Scalzo, visibilityreclaimed@gmail.com
Direction and scientific coordination: Prof. Dr. Carla Mazza, carla.mazzarelli@usi.ch

Organization Committee
Giovanna Capitelli (Università di Roma Tre)
Carla Mazzarelli (Università della Svizzera italiana)
Chiara Piva (Sapienza Università di Roma)

Organizing Secretaries
Luca Piccoli (Università della Svizzera italiana)
Ludovica Scalzo (Università di Roma Tre)

The workshop is part of the research project Visibility Reclaimed: Experiencing Rome’s First Public Museums, 1733–1870, An Analysis of Public Audiences in a Transnational Perspective (SNSF 100016_212922), directed by Carla Mazzarelli (Università della Svizzera italiana, Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio, Istituto di storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura).

Project Partners
Giovanna Capitelli (Università di Roma Tre), Stefano Cracolici (Durham University), David Garcia Cueto (Museo del Prado), Christoph Frank (Università della Svizzera italiana), Daniela Mondini (Università della Svizzera italiana), Chiara Piva (Sapienza Università di Roma)