Many medieval and early modern works of art and buildings have been
preserved in Germany, Poland, Estonia, Finland and Sweden and belong to
the canon of European art history. Impressive cathedrals, secular
buildings, historic old towns as well as iconic works of art are world-famous.
There are countless examples located outside of prominent cultural
centres and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, that are no less important and
worthy of preservation. Today, this claim faces several challenges in a
changing society. The interest in researching and preserving even
lesser-known medieval art comes up against social, political, and
financial interests. How can this cultural heritage be kept alive as a
bridge between the past and the present for all people? What is the role
of art history and the humanities in general?
During the Spring School these questions are to be discussed and
further developed from a transdisciplinary perspective and with great
expertise. To this end, the Spring School addresses students in various
formats to further sharpen and concretise related topics as cultural
continuity, historical understanding, aesthetic experience, artistic
development and tourist and cultural attractions.
The exchange will therefore take place between the two units Empathy and search for new meanings in exhibiting Medieval and Early Modern artworks and Transformations of medieval objects.
The Empathy Unit’s aim is to reflect on the possible ways of
curating (im)perfect objects and the interpretive potential of the
artworks that can no longer be repaired or reconstructed. Objects from
the past, often fragmented and broken, have been collected and displayed
since humankind started to reflect upon its own history. Nevertheless, a
tendency is still common in modern museum practices, where curators
only employ severely damaged artworks as a visual device to throw
viewers off balance and tell stories about natural disasters and wars.
Consequently, these objects and their stories serve only as an
illustration of a grand narrative. Moreover, following the ‘affective
turn’ in museology and the strategies of ‘affective curatorship’ (as
termed by Marzia Varutti), we will revolve around how these types of
objects elicit empathy and emotional responses from curators and
visitors alike. We will draw attention to selected contemporary
curatorial strategies and museum practices that force us to look for
meaning in broken, incomplete and not necessarily beautiful objects.
The Transformations Unit looks at and investigates the fates
of medieval art in non-Catholic church spaces focusing on the current
situation: Medieval art belonging to the Roman Catholic times is often
on sight also in Protestant church spaces. This applies to many
countries and regions around the Baltic Sea, which turned to Lutheranism
in the beginning of the sixteenth century. During the following
centuries the artworks were treated in numerous ways: whereas some were
destroyed or tossed aside, some were reworked and modified to fit the
new taste or ideals. Topics might include alterations of objects and
their role in the (church) space, relocation of musealized medieval art
to churches, the concept of repatriation, the role of the church for
today’s societies and the original location for a Roman Catholic
devotional object etc.
The discussion on tasks, challenges and perspectives will lead to
cross-cutting subjects such as social and digital transformation, the
decline in knowledge of one's own history and interest in culture, but
also the importance of sustainable (digital?) education programs,
marginalized target groups or regional cultural tourism.
The first virtual
course session will then take place on 28 March, where we will discuss the
topics of the Spring School. Until the meeting in Greifswald, you will
prepare the topics in your groups through self-study. The presentation
of your results will take place during the on-site seminar phases and
during the two excursions to Stralsund and Rostock.