The art of nation-building: (re)presenting political transition at the South African National Gallery

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between museums and representations of national identity in South Africa. From their early development in Western Europe in the nineteenth century there has been a close relationship between museums and other exhibitionary spaces and the production of national identities. In South Africa, museum displays have historically supported colonial and apartheid ideologies, but with the transition to a post-apartheid society museums have reassessed their divisive roles and repositioned themselves within South Africa’s contemporary nation-building project, organized around building unity from diversity. The development of this new relationship between museums and democratic nation-building is examined here through discussing the attempts of South Africa’s museums to become more inclusive in their exhibitions, and analysing debates in the museological community concerning the challenges facing museums in a post apartheid society. These issues then inform an analysis of an exhibition at the South African National Gallery titled Contemporary South African art 1985-1995. The exhibition attempted to use art to document the political transition and contribute to building national unity. However, by discussing the political operation of classification in museums I argue that the exhibition ultimately fails to represent this period inclusively, and I question, more generally, the possibility of art museums engaging in a properly inclusive nation-building project.

Museums, schools and geographies of cultural value

“…The latter is akin to Foucault's notion of secondary spatialization, and can be seen to encompass a range of museological concerns. Crampton (2003), for instance, has highlighted how museums' classifications of content, internal layout and objects incorporate spatialized identities and boundaries, a feature that is also highlighted by Naylor's (2002) work on local museums as well as implied in such notions as the "universal survey museum" (Duncan & Wallach, 1980). Studies, including Naylor's, have also highlighted how spatial representations connect to the physical layout of museums, an issue that has risen to prominence as a result of the construction of a series of new, high profile, museums designed by so-called "signature architects".…”

A masculinist northern wilderness and the emancipatory potential of literary irony

“…Richard Phillips (2001), for example, has described how the reformations in children's literature that have taken place in Britain have worked as a successful decolonization campaign concerning children's ideological attitudes towards social stereotypes. In the same way, Andrew Crampton (2003) has studied how art museums have been used in South Africa as tools for attempting to struggle against apartheid politics, in order to achieve some conformity in the national identity. Although Crampton questions the possibility of art museums engaging in a nation-building project, this still stands as a good example of how art can be used for deconstructive social purposes.…”

Foucault and museum geographies: a case study of the English ‘Renaissance in the Regions’

“…Secondary spatialisation can be seen as the 'multiplicity of frames for the articulation of material things, subjects, and knowing' (Hooper-Greenhill, 1990, p. 59), which encompass a range of museological and geographical concerns. Crampton (2003), for instance, has highlighted how museums' classifications of content, internal layout and objects incorporate spatialised identities and boundaries, features also highlighted in Naylor's (2002) and Finnegan's (2009) work on local museums, as well as Duncan and Wallach's (1980) discussion of 'universal survey museums'. The last three studies also highlight how spatial representations connect to physical design and layout of museums, an issue also prominent in the design of new museums by so-called 'signature architects' (see Message, 2006aMessage, , 2006b.…”