Dresden Scholars in Search of the Museum of the Future
In a unique joint effort as part of the research alliance DRESDEN concept, Dresden institutions of research and culture will study the future of museums, libraries, and collections. For the first time, four of the most renowned institutions of culture and art in Germany in close collaboration with scholars of TU Dresden or are delving into the ongoing changes in the structures of knowledge and the culture of collecting and presenting in the digital age.
During the Dresden Summer School 2012 “Von der Vitrine zum Web 2.0. Museen, Bibliotheken und Archive im digitalen Zeitalter” (From Showcase to Web 2.0 - Museums, Libraries, and Archives in the Digital Age”), scholars of various disciplines will consider the challenges posed by the use of modern media and technologies to institutions of learning. “We expect to advance new impetuses for the museum of the future,” the director of the summer school Hans Vorländer says. In workshops with experts of the participating institutions, the scholars will explore the possibilities of using digital forms of exhibition, concepts for virtual and actual forms of both archival storage and presentation, and new strategies for the dissemination of knowledge across social media.
In linking theory-based and application-oriented research, we will try to find solutions to problems associated with the digitization of culture and knowledge, which is already in progress. “Continuing transformations in vocational fields in general and in the organization, dissemination, and presentation of culture and knowledge in particular will be discussed,” Hans Vorländer expects. He continues: “We hope for new ideas in dealing with changing habits of sight and perception, for example, those of visitors to libraries and museums.
For Hans Vorländer, also Director of the Collaborative Research Center “Transcendence and Common Sense” (Sonderforschungsbereich 804 “Transzendenz und Gemeinsinn”) at TU Dresden, the variety of participating institutions marks the decisive value of the occasion and the results of research to be expected: “The distinguished and diverse landscape of research and culture in Dresden will enable scholars to develop comprehensive insight into the practice of today’s museums and the concepts of tomorrow. This unique landscape also highlights the significance of Dresden as a European center of culture.
Dresden Summer School takes place October 1 to October 12, 2012. Participating institutions beyond Sonderforschungsbereich 804 “Transzendenz und Gemeinsinn” are the Center for Technical Design and the Kustodie of TU Dresden, the Dresden State Art Collections, the Deutsche Hygiene-Museum Dresden, the Museum of Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr, and the Saxon State and University Library.
Further informations on the program may be obtained here: www.dresdensummerschool.de
