Exhibiting Asia in the 21st Century

From Privilege to Participation: Temple, Forum or Tower of Babel

Sunday, September 15, 4PM
Julian Raby, Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art

In the twenty-first century, we are in the throes of a pivotal shift in the relationship between "authority" and "alternative voices." We live in a blogging and tweeting world in which everyone has an opinion, as well as a wiki world in which there are no central authorities. What are the implications of these changes for museums, which are responsible for disseminating knowledge to diverse audiences? In this talk, Dr. Julian Raby shares his unique perspective on the future of museums, the curatorial profession, and the display of collections. He suggests a shift from a paradigm of "objectivity" to a model of emotional engagement—a move from education to provocation and from education as an obligation to learning as a thrill, thinking less about objectivity and more about subjectivity.

Lecture Series
Speaker Bios

Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Freer and Sackler Galleries installation view.