The poster was presented at the Herrenhausen Symposium "Positioning Ethnological Museums in the 21st Century", Hannover-Germany, 21-23.06.2015. Author: Mario Buletic, Ethnographic Museum of Istria/University of Ljubljana (Croatia/Slovenia). The main objective of the presented research project is to analyze critically different approaches present in the field of museum practice with ethnographic background in Istrian region in Croatia.

1. RESEARCH PROJECT
The main objective of the research project is to analyze critically di erent
approaches present in the eld of museum practice with ethnographic
background in Istrian region. It explores:
past and present forms of representation
problem(s) of ethnographic and ideological authorities in such representations
present, past and future of collecting and museum’s collections
impact that museum work can have on the daily life processes
questions regarding participative and inclusive strategies within museum activities
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Speci c questions derived from the general research framework and serve as the
research guidelines are: what do exhibitions and ethnographic collections represent and
which discourses they try to articulate? how the exhibits, policies and strategies of
collecting are trying to represent people's everyday life related to past and present social
contexts? what are supposed to be material and immaterial cultural markers in
processes like identity construction, perception of self and other i erent cultural and
social practices? how the change on epistemological level in anthropology and recent
repositioning of museums’theory and practice have contributed to rethink the ethno-
graphic museums and collections on local level? What is the implication of authorities
and power in museum practice? Are the intercultural dialogue, inclusion of social and
cultural di erences, tolerance, active participation, cosmopolitanism and sustainable way
of life some of the values that museums are promoting through their work and how?
4. Digital media and museum
practice
Accessibility of the content, edu-
cation, participation and inclusion
of local community within
museum’s activities can be con-
sidered as the most challenging
general purposes of any museum.
Digital media represent an impor-
tant tool and a creative resource
for collaborative and dynamic
dialogue with the local (and
wider) community available
today. The conclusive part of the
research and the subsequent
practical cases will be dedicated
to the issue of use of digital tech-
nologies in museum practice.
STRUCTURE
1. Theoretical framework
Theoretical approaches taken
in account that serve to de-
velop the analytical tools are
related to: critical theory ap-
plied within cultural studies
relative to questions on repre-
sentation, authority and power
relations; theory on practice in
questioning the everyday life
practices; materiality and rela-
tional actor-network approach
in relation to museum studies;
new museology, inclusive, so-
cially engaging and participa-
tive turns in museum practice
that in uenced positioning the
museum's role and function in
today's society.
3. Museums and communities
It explores the active role and
engagement that museums
and museum professionals
have in communities’life and
wider society. The idea is to
analyze the importance and
question the social responsibil-
ity and awareness as challenges
for museums of today and of
tomorrow. Practical cases focus
on educative workshops with
high school youngsters within
museums and traditionally ex-
cluded narratives in local
ethnographic accounts.
2. Local context
Analysis of cultural represen-
tations of everyday life prac-
tices and achievements in
ethno-anthropological disci-
pline during the past times in
Istria. The focus is on the rela-
tionship between policies of
collecting and displaying
aspects of material and in-
tangible culture relative to
Istrian cultural area. To this is
part is associated the practi-
cal work and analysis of the
exhibition made for the 50th
anniversary of the Ethno-
graphic Museum of Istria.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Principal goal of the research is to emphasize the importance and to question the
social responsibility and awareness as challenges for museums of today and tomorrow.
Expected results of the research can have multiple dimensions. On one hand, it aims to
generalize topics as representation of culture in museology and levels of embodiment
that di erent representations can have in everyday life processes. Moreover,
it takes in account the shift from the classical concept of ethnographic museums
to places and open spaces that question professional and political
authority; that perform as cultural mediators between institutions and communities
rather than positioning as professional authorities; that are more oriented to ful llment
of social needing of communities they belong or they are supposed to represent.
METHODOLOGY
The research will be conducted both on analytical and practical level. The active
engagement in creating content through the museum practice can be considered as
the main methodological approach in the research project. The idea is to propose
answers to research questions in the form of results coming from the concrete
practical work as a museum curator and ethnographer. Re ections and analysis on
research topics are accompanied, interlaced and interdependent with di erent cases
of practical museum work:
exhibiting curatorial work educative activities
eldwork documentation and research collections management
MUSEUM&ETHNOGRAPHY
REPRESENTATIONS
MATERIALITY/
MATERIAL CULTURE STUDIES
“UNPACKINGTHE COLLECTION”
A-N-T APPROACH
CRITICALTHEORY IN
ANTHROPOLOGY &
CULTURAL STUDIES
PARTICIPATION/
INCLUSION IN
MUSEUMS
EXCLUDED
NARRATIVES
QUESTIONING
AUTHORITIES
HISTORICAL&SOCIAL
BACKGROUND
THEORY OF PRACTICE &
STUDIES OF EVERYDAY LIFE
2. LOCAL
CONTEXT
3. MUSEUMS &
COMMUNITIES
4. DIGITAL MEDIA &
MUSEUM PRACTICE
1.THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
MUSEUM PRACTICE
AS A METHOD
EXHIBITING
CURATORIALWORK/
COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT
EDUCATIVE/PEDAGOCICAL
ACTIVITIES
FIELDWORK
DOCUMENTATION & RESEARCH
DOCUMENTING/
REPRESENTING
MEDIATING/SHARING
KNOWLEDGE
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de Certeau, M. (2011). The practice of everyday life. Berkeley: Univ of
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du Gay, P., & University, O. (1997). Production of culture/cultures of
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Golding, V. (2009). Learning at the Museum Frontiers: Identity, Race and
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Hall, S. (Ed.). (1997). Representation. Cultural Representations and
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Henning, M. (2005). Museums, Media and Cultural Theory. McGraw-Hill
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Hooper-Greenhill, E. (1992). Museums and the shaping of knowledge.
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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM OF ISTRIA / PAZIN ROVINJ HERITAGE MUSEUM LABIN NATIONAL MUSEUM
HERITAGE MUSEUM OF POREČ ETHNOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS BUZET / BUJE ECO-MUSEUMS /VODNJAN&
ROVINJ HISTORICAL AND MARITIME MUSEUM OF ISTRIA / PULA ...
CROATIA
ISTRIA
PULA
ROVINJ
LABIN
POREČ PAZIN
BUZETBUJE
Museum Ethnography and Culture
Representation of Communities Everyday Life
in Istria
Mario Buletić
Ethnographic Museum of Istria/
University of Ljubljana
Croatia/Slovenia
Austro-Hungarian
Empire administra-
tion in Istria
World War I
End of WWI
Istria joins the
Kingdom of Italy
National Fascist
Party takes the
power in Italy -
March on Rome
Archeological
Museum founded
in Pula
Fascist Racial Laws
World War II
Beginning of Anti-
fascist Resistance
Italy signs the
Armistice
Nazi occupation
in Istria
World War II ends
Istria joins the So-
cialist Federation of
Yugoslavia
1945-47 Anglo-
American protec-
torat - border con-
testations and ani-
mositis between
Slavic and Italian
population in Istria
Establishment of
Free Territory of
Trieste - Zone A:
US/British adminis-
tration; Zone B
(bigger part): Yugo-
slav administration
Ethnographic
exhibition and
publication of
“Testimonies of
Slavic Origins of
Istrian Population”
during the visit of
International Co-
mission responsi-
ble to monitor the
question of bor-
ders between
Yugoslavia and
Italy
People’s Museum
founded in Pazin
(1952-1955)
1950s-60s Other
Museums open in
Istria (Rovinj,
Poreč, Pula,
Labin...)
People’s
Museum in Pazin
becomes the
Ethnographic
Museum of Istria
Treaty of Osimo
concluded the
border questions
between Italy and
Yugoslavia.
It is estimated that
between 1945-75
between 150.00-
250.00 persons left
Istria, mostly
Italians.
1960s-70s
Process of col-
lecting the mate-
rial culture, domi-
nantly from rural
areas, document-
ing the“disap-
pearing way of
life due to grow-
ing industrailiza-
tion and tourism”
Inauguration of
new permam-
nent exhibition
in Ethnographic
Museum of Istria
War for the Indip-
endence in Croatia
Istria joins the new
Croatian state
Ethnographic
Museum of
Istria becomes a
Regional Institu-
tion (1994)
“Interpretative
turn”in museum;
policies oriented
to local commu-
nities and
regional cultural
agenda
New Permament
Exhibition Project
(2006)
Tourism-dominant
local economy;
Istrian regionalism
(croatian/italian
biculturalism ):
dominant cultural
mainstream policy
Croatia joins the
European Union
The future of
ethnographic
museums and
collections?
. . .
1815
1914
1903
1918
1925
1922
1928
1938
1939
1941
1943
1945
1955
1962
1975
1991
1986
Provincial
Museum for Arts
and History
founded in Poreč
Representation of
Istrian traditional
customs and
material culture
in Festival of Folk-
lore in Venice
1947
1946
2000
2006
.
.
.
2013