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<p>Recent outbursts of activist interventions in museums have put a spotlight on the difficult relationship of cultural spaces with activism as they aspire to be forums, sites for civil, social, and cultural participation (Black, 2005; Byrne, 2018; Janes &amp; Sandell, 2019; Pegno, 2021). On the one hand, museums want to be engaged and relevant, taking part in social dialogue as “agents of change” (Mouffe, 2016; Sandell, 2003). On the other, they often have complex relationships with the activists themselves, especially in the framework of participatory practices (Coffee, 2008; Lorente, 2015). This article focuses on the process of co-creation of an exhibition about the social history of AIDS at the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (the Mucem) in Marseille, France, and explores how this participatory project involving activists can help us better understand the challenges of museum activism. The core question this article addresses is: how did activists experience the co-creation participatory process, and what can the museum learn from it to inform their practice of museum activism?</p>
</abstract>

Recent outbursts of activist interventions in museums have put a spotlight on the difficult relationship of cultural spaces with activism as they aspire to be forums, sites for civil, social, and cultural participation (Black, 2005; Byrne, 2018; Janes & Sandell, 2019; Pegno, 2021). On the one hand, museums want to be engaged and relevant, taking part in social dialogue as “agents of change” (Mouffe, 2016; Sandell, 2003). On the other, they often have complex relationships with the activists themselves, especially in the framework of participatory practices (Coffee, 2008; Lorente, 2015). This article focuses on the process of co-creation of an exhibition about the social history of AIDS at the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (the Mucem) in Marseille, France, and explores how this participatory project involving activists can help us better understand the challenges of museum activism. The core question this article addresses is: how did activists experience the co-creation participatory process, and what can the museum learn from it to inform their practice of museum activism?

“Never enough, never perfect”: Participatory activist practice in the museum

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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Public License.

Recent outbursts of activist interventions in museums have put a spotlight on the difficult relationship of cultural spaces with activism as they aspire to be...

“Never enough, never perfect”: Participatory activist practice in the museum

Publié en ligne: 04 avr. 2024

Pages: 1 - 15

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/tjcp-2024-0002

Mots clés
museum activism, activists in the museum, participatory practice, co-creation, empowerment

© 2024 Emilie Sitzia, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Public License.

“Never enough, never perfect”: Participatory activist practice in the museum

Publié en ligne: 04 avr. 2024

Pages: 1 - 15

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/tjcp-2024-0002

Mots clésmuseum activism, activists in the museum, participatory practice, co-creation, empowerment

© 2024 Emilie Sitzia, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Public License.

Mots clés
museum activism, activists in the museum, participatory practice, co-creation, empowerment