Universität Wien

080012 UE Übung: Uncovering Contested Heritage in Viennese Museums (2026S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 8 - Kunstgeschichte und Europäische Ethnologie
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
Moodle
Do 21.05. 10:45-14:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25

An/Abmeldung

Hinweis: Ihr Anmeldezeitpunkt innerhalb der Frist hat keine Auswirkungen auf die Platzvergabe (kein "first come, first served").

Details

Sprache: Englisch

Lehrende

Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert

The class on 26 March will take place at the Belvedere.

  • Donnerstag 19.03. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25
  • Donnerstag 26.03. 10:45 - 14:00 Ort in u:find Details
  • Donnerstag 30.04. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25
  • Donnerstag 11.06. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25
  • Donnerstag 25.06. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

This course explores museums as sites of meaning-making, knowledge authorisation, and the negotiation of (cultural) heritage. Using current cultural-theoretical and museological approaches – particularly Laurajane Smith’s interpretation of "heritage" as a social and political process – we will analyze museums not as neutral collections of artefacts, but as active participants in the creation of history, identity, and meaning. Through practical visits to museums, students will explore how narratives, hierarchies and exclusions are created within exhibition spaces.

Aims
This course aims to encourage students to critically engage with museums and understand them as cultural practices. Upon completion, students should recognize how institutional, aesthetic, and political decisions shape museum narratives, as well as how the "Authorized Heritage Discourse (AHD)" (L. Smith) privileges certain perspectives while marginalizing others. Students will also learn to develop and clearly communicate their own positions using a chosen analytical perspective.

Method
The course is designed to be project- and research-oriented. In small groups, students choose from a set list of museums and will then engage with that museum and its collections over an extended period. They study the museum through repeated visits, observations, and conversations with staff, alongside conducting their own independent research to uncover alternative narratives. They may draw on different critical perspectives for their analyses, such as anticolonial, queer, feminist, ecocritical, and/or sociopolitical approaches. Rather than focusing solely on exhibited objects, students are encouraged to engage with multiple aspects of the museum, including the category of museum, the history of the institution, the building, and the neighborhood, exhibition narratives, visitor guidance, educational materials, the museum shop, and marketing strategies. Based on this, students develop their own analytically grounded, discussion-based museum tour, applying theoretical concepts to specific museum aspects.

This course is developed and taught in cooperation with Alisa Santikarn.

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

a) Active participation (discussions, feedback)
b) An independently designed guided tour focusing on a specific aspect in a museum of the students’ choice
c) A creative project (e.g., audio/video recording, zine, webpage, etc.) summarizing the key aspects of the student’s own guided tour

Students work in groups of up to eight people and choose from a pre-selected list of museums with which to engage critically over a period of at least one month. This includes contacting a designated person at the museum. Based on this, they develop their own critical museum tour. Active participation in discussions about the tours and the other groups' methodological approaches is also required.

Each student will produce a creative project in a medium of their choice, which they then submit to the course instructor, who will publish it on a shared Padlet webpage. The students may use all materials provided in the course, as well as independently researched sources (e.g., literature, exhibition texts, museum websites or conversations with museum staff), as resources.

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

Attendance at the first class is compulsory for final enrolment in the course.
In general, attendance is mandatory: any absence must be reported to the course instructor in advance. In the case of repeated absence, a compensatory assignment must be completed.

Assessment criteria:
a) Active participation in discussions and feedback sessions: 20 points
b) Design and delivery of the museum tour: 45 points
c) Production of a creative project for the shared website: 35 points

Grading Scale
1 (excellent): 100–91 points
2 (good): 90–81 points
3 (satisfactory): 80–75 points
4 (pass): 74–51 points
5 (fail): 50–0 points

Prüfungsstoff

The exam content consists of the material covered in the course.

Literatur

Required and further readings will be announced during the course.

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Letzte Änderung: Sa 07.03.2026 05:26