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About the Conference
The conference is jointly organized by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Feng Chia University, Taichung, the Taipei Office of the French Center for Research on Contemporary China (CEFC), and Taiwan Historica (National Archives of Taiwan), and is to be held at Taiwan Historica and Feng-chia University, Taiwan on June 27, 28 and 29, 2008.
The main purpose of the conference is to study and analyze the links between the cultural identity of a specific place or country and the objects produced, used, or collected by its people, especially under the process of modernization.
Conference Thematic: Cultures and identities, local or national, are constantly woven and re-woven, in old and new nations as well. Re-discovered and newly formed identities and cultures regularly surface in our world spurred by political, economic or social change. But all are based on specific histories and heritages upon which they build new meaning and interpretation.
Objects, tangible as well as intangible ones, are at the center of these memories and processes. Objects of all kind are an expression of people’s culture and identity and as such, they, in return, shape the idea of this culture and identity. They play a major role in feeding collective memory and trans-generational cultural identity. They are also collectible items that, when classified and catalogued in museums or private collections, are relevant materials to understand the narrative and the construction of local and national culture.
In Taiwan, after a long period of neglect by the authorities in local culture, the development of Taiwan-centered cultural policies together with the opening of new museums throughout the territory (i.e. Museum of Prehistory in Taitung, Museum of Ceramics in Yingge, Museum of Taiwanese History in Tainan) have characterized national and local governments’ actions since the mid-1990s. At the same time, private mini-museums started to appear in increasing numbers while the number of collections created by individual collectors rocketed to an unprecedented level, and was reflected by the spreading of antique shops and specialized books on collection of objects from Taiwan. Most focused on popular culture and everyday objects, including songs and music, engravings, books, puppets, ceramics, working tools, or industrial and consumer products.
One of the main goals of this conference would be to put Taiwan’s contemporary practice in perspective with foreign experiences in terms of dealing with, studying and questioning the link between objects, both tangible and intangible, and culture. Their role in the building of local and national identity will be examined, particularly through the process of collecting and the work of museums and cultural institutions, as well as their use by groups of people to assert their cultural distinctiveness.
The conference will look at objects as resources for memory and culture. The focus will be on so-called popular culture and daily life objects like ceramics, costumes and fashion, puppet arts, music and songs, etc. The embraced period will start from the late 19 th century up to now.
A special interest will be bestowed on collectors, collections, and new practices by museums and cultural institutions to preserve and foster living culture and identity in the community.
Main Topics and Issues: - the significance of tangible and intangible objects in people’s memory, culture and identity - how objects convey and symbolize national and local culture or identity - the objects as material for social scientists in the analysis of cultural memory and the construction of identity - how collectors build their identity through the collecting process and contribute to the construction of national culture - what roles museums and state cultural institutions play in the construction of national and local identity
Transversal themes include:
Participants: Historians, sociologists, anthropologists, museum studies experts and individual collectors from Taiwan, Hong-Kong, France, and U.S.A.
Cultural activities: Organizers: College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Feng Chia University Taipei Office, French Center for Research on Contemporary China (CEFC) Taiwan Historica (National Archives of Taiwan) French Institute in Taipei (IFT)
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