Objectives
The aim of this project is to create Info-Forum Archives of Human Culture contents that will effectively provide information for all of Minpaku’s European exhibits online. To this end, we will create a database of the exhibition materials (and related artifacts) in Minpaku’s European collections, and by linking them with related text and video materials, users will gain access to a wealth of multimedia information for each item. Through this database we aim to create a citizen participation forum not only for specialists, but for a broad range of people in Japan and overseas to learn and research in depth about the European collections.
Description
This project is comprised of the following: (1) Constructing a database of the exhibition materials (and related artifacts) in Minpaku’s European collections; (2) Hosting workshops and related events to create a citizen participation forum.
(1) Database construction: Currently it is not possible to obtain much information about the European cultural resources exhibited at Minpaku unless you visit the museum, and even for visitors, it is difficult to obtain sufficient information on the cultural and social background of each exhibit. There are also many cultural resources that were once on display, but are now in storage, so not available to the visiting public. We will therefore construct a database that will provide deeper information about the European collections to promote understanding among a broad range of users. The database will be comprised of the following elements: (a) Bilingual information (Japanese and English) about all of the exhibition materials in the European collections; (b) Bilingual information about artifacts in Mipaku’s collection related to the exhibition materials, as well as major artifacts exhibited in the past; (c) Literary resources related to the exhibition materials (related articles in Gekkan Minpaku and Kikan Minzokugaku etc.); (d) Videos related to the exhibition materials (e.g. exhibition slideshow photographs and Videotheque videos). We plan to include a total of around 800 items in the database, comprised of all 678 items from the current European exhibitions, and approximately 100 related materials currently in storage, as well as major artifacts exhibited in the past (these will be selected during the project period). By linking these multimedia resources together, users will be able to learn about the social and cultural background to each item. In order to provide easy access to the information, we plan to create an interface which replicates the actual layout of exhibition. At the same time, we will provide a system that enables users to search by ethnicity and region in order to broaden the possibilities for freely exploring the database.
(2) Creating a citizen participation forum: The database we will construct in this project is intended not just to serve domestic and overseas researchers, but to be usable by a broad range of general users for their own individual purposes. Through this use, we aim to create a forum for research and learning about European culture which transcends the boundaries between experts and citizens. To this end, we will host workshops and related events where general users will actually utilize the completed database to verify its effectiveness and any issues that may arise. In hosting these events, we will work with the relevant departments in Minpaku (Social Collaboration/ Liberal Arts Communicator etc.), to ensure they are effective undertakings. We will also conduct research to see if similar citizen participation forums are being implemented in overseas museums of European culture and exchange information about our respective undertakings. Following this, we will hold a symposium and make the results available as a publication.
Expected results
By making the previously limited social and cultural background information for the exhibition materials available via a multimedia database, we will be able to provide significantly enriched information to Minpaku visitors, as well as researchers and citizens both in Japan and overseas. Not only will this information be useful in advancing European studies, but it is also expected to provide research and learning opportunities to a broad range of general users, thereby becoming a foundation for deepening the understanding of Europe.