Conference: “Das (post-)partizipative Museum – wissenschaftliche, kuratorische und digitale Perspektiven”
© Universität Münster | Lioba Keller-Drescher

On 15 February 2027, the conference “Das (post-)partizipative Museum – wissenschaftliche, kuratorische und digitale Perspektiven” (“The (Post-)Participatory Museum – Scientific, Curatorial, and Digital Perspectives”) will take place. It is organized by the Kommission Materielle Kultur und Museum in der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Empirische Kulturwissenschaft (Commission on Material Culture and Museums of the German Society for Empirical Cultural Studies) and the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change” at the University of Münster.

Venue: Erbdrostenhof, Salzstraße 38, 48143 Münster.

Registration: Starting in October 2026 at the office of the Institute for Cultural Anthropology/European Ethnology (Ms. Steens) via kulturanthropologie@uni-muenster.de. Space is limited.

The program, featuring four invited keynote lectures, will be supplemented by short presentations and posters from academia and museums. The members of the commission will meet for a brief session during the conference as scheduled.

Commission spokespersons and scientific organisation: Prof. Dr. Lioba Keller-Drescher (Institute for Cultural Anthropology and In-House Fellow of the Centre for Advanced Study, University of Münster) and Dr. Kirsten Bernhardt (LWL Museum Office, Münster)

Participation has established itself as a concept and a standard for contemporary museum work across all disciplines. The reformulation of the definition of a museum (2022) and the Ethical Guidelines for Museums (2026) by ICOM (International Council of Museums) reflect long-standing demands and approaches aimed at making cultural institutions more accessible and promoting social inclusion.

Participation, understood as the opportunity to access and contribute to cultural assets and institutions, derives from the fundamental right to cultural participation and seeks to give concrete form to this right. Guidelines and rights articulate an aspiration that must be implemented in practice, yet one that encounters decidedly contradictory and competing demands within the field of museum work. The conference aims to engage in a constructive and critical discussion of the concept of participation and these demands. In doing so, particular attention will be given to aspects of scientific, curatorial, and digital work in museums.

Talks

Paradoxien kultureller Teilhabe – Normalisierung, Empowerment und Dekonstruktion im post-partizipativen Museum
Dr. Hauke Behrendt (University of Ulm, Senior Fellow of the Centre for Advanced Study)

Counter Stories
Sophia Firgau, M.A. (University of Münster, Junior Fellow of the Centre for Advanced Study)

Museums Between Digitality, Participation, and Project Logics
Nicolas Dittgen, M.A. (German Maritime Museum – Leibniz Institute for Maritime History / University of Vechta)

After the post or Things in Motion
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Samida (University of Oldenburg)

Poster Presentations

  • Teaching and Research Project “An Imaginary Museum—Students’ Perspectives”
  • TBD (Application deadline still open)

Shortcuts

  • TBD (Application deadline still open)