Together with ten Dutch museums and four design agencies, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences led the practice-based research called The Exhi- bition Designer of the 21st Century (2017-2019), which was funded by Regieor- gaan SIA. Researching the effect of intentionally designed museum experiences, the project focused on how four design strategies (participatory practices, sto- rytelling techniques, atmosphere and interactive media) affected visitors’ level of inspiration, the degree they were emotionally touched and to what extent they felt they had learned valuable information. In this article, the case study of one Dutch museum will be discussed to 1) address the methodology used in our pro- ject to research the effect of designers’ intentions and 2) present results from our research concerning six interactive media installations used in two exhibitions at this museum. The goal of the project is to develop an instrument that will allow museums to research their own expectations when developing new exhibitions.
An installation, presented as part of the Thessaloniki Photobiennale 2018, reflecting on the earlier Ebifananyi exhibitions at the photo museum in Antwerp, Belgium and The Uganda Museum.
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In Luganda, the widest spoken minority language in East African country Uganda, the word for photographs is Ebifananyi. However, ebifananyi does not, contrary to the etymology of the word photographs, relate to light writings. Ebifananyi instead means things that look like something else. Ebifananyi are likenesses.My research project explores the historical context of this particular conceptualisation of photographs as well as its consequences for present day visual culture in Uganda. It also discusses my artistic practice as research method, which led to the digitisation of numerous collections of photographs which were previously unavailable to the public. This resulted in eight books and in exhibitions that took place in Uganda and in Europe.The research was conducted in collaboration with both human and non-human actors. These actors included photographs, their owners, Ugandan picture makers as well as visitors to the exhibitions that were organised in Uganda and Western Europe. This methodology led to insights into differences in the production and uses of, and into meanings given to, photographs in both Ugandan and Dutch contexts.Understanding differences between ebifananyi and photographs shapes the communication about photographs between Luganda and English speakers. Reflection on the conceptualisations languages offer for objects and for sensible aspects of the surrounding world will help prevent misunderstandings in communication in general.
A series of elective courses and exhibitions in which students at Minerva Art and Uganda Christian University are in dialogue about and through portraits they make
