Deconstructing the Grand Narrative: Using Different Time Concepts and Temporal Frameworks to Uncover New Voices and Meanings in Museum Collections.

随着博物馆逐渐摆脱传统的说教式解释模式，即围绕一系列物品进行一种权威性的叙述，他们面临着在一个规定的空间中表达多种声音，意义和观点的挑战。这一挑战的一个方面很少受到关注，那就是时间概念。博物馆传统上使用线性时间概念-按时间顺序排列的时间线，或社会学时期，如国王统治-作为他们叙述的组织框架。无论使用线性、昼夜节律或周期性的方法来呈现时间，使用特定的时间概念都可以在解释博物馆文物的意义和重要性时起到抑制某些观点的作用。例如，将一系列事件沿着一个时间轴的必然性放置，在历史经验之间创造了一种可互换性的感觉，这种感觉只会从某种意识形态的角度来看是有效的。事实上，线性时间轴的使用本身就意味着“进步”的存在，这是西方的发明，并不一定与非西方文化所使用的时间和进化概念相一致。本研究将探讨博物馆解释和展示中使用的时间概念，以提高人们对支撑看似无害的时间框架的意识形态假设的认识，并使其更加透明。这将反过来，开始讨论如何竞争的时间概念可以用来呈现不同的哲学，信仰和思想在对象的解释和呈现。总的目标是使博物馆的解释更具包容性和吸引力的一系列观众。将探讨的关键研究问题是：1.在博物馆展示中，线性时间概念的依赖在多大程度上限制了解释的机会，排除了声音和/或阻碍了公众参与收藏？2.博物馆还可以采用哪些其他的时间概念，以更复杂和多层次的方式来看待物品的意义和重要性？3.如何在博物馆空间内部和外部使用数字化工具来呈现不同的时间概念并在游客和物体之间创建新的时间关系？

As museums move away from the traditional didactic model of interpretation which espouses one authoritative narrative around a set of objects, they face the challenge of articulating a plurality of voices, meanings and perspectives in a single prescribed space. One aspect of this challenge that has received little attention is the concept of time. Museums have traditionally used linear time concepts - chronological timelines, or sociological periods such as king's reigns -- as organising frameworks for their narratives. Whether one uses a linear, circadian or cyclical method of presenting time, the use of a particular time concept can function to suppress certain points of view about the meaning and significance of museum artefacts when interpreted for exhibition. For example, placing a series of events along a timeline inevitability creates a sense of commensurability between historical experiences that will only be valid from a certain ideological perspective. In fact, the very use of a linear timeline denotes the existence of 'progress' which is a Western invention that does not necessarily concur with notions of time and evolution used by non-Western cultures.This research will explore concepts of time used in museum interpretation and display in order to raise awareness of, and make more transparent, the ideological assumptions that underpin seemingly innocuous temporal frameworks. This will, in turn, start a discussion about how competing time concepts can be used to present different philosophies, beliefs and ideas in object interpretation and presentation. The overall objective is to make museum interpretation more inclusive and engaging for a range of audiences. The key research questions that will be explored are:1.To what extent does reliance of linear time concepts in museum displays limit interpretive opportunities, exclude voices and/or discourage the public from engaging with collections?2.What other time concepts might be employed by museums to give a more complex and multi-layered view of the meaning and significance of objects?3.How can digital tools be used inside and outside museum spaces to present different concepts of time and create new time relationships between visitors and objects?