物質文化的展示觀

The Exhibition View of Material Culture

陳玫岑

《科技博物》 5卷3期 (2001/05) Pp. 60-70

https://doi.org/10.6432/TMR.200105.0060

並列摘要

It is common to see, in the exhibitions of ancient artifacts related to living technology that the artifacts are taken away from the original ambience and displayed in a linear-static way, hence their connections with the social culture are always neglected. In the study of material culture, the idea of exploring the interaction between material and human behavior as well as the cultural significance behind the artifacts is just what a museum exhibition has to present. As we trace back to the time around 1945 when Taiwan was reverted to China, how did Taiwan was Min people live at that time on the aspects of eating, dressing, inhabiting, traveling and entertaining? As for the artifacts and mechanics used in all professions at that time, how were they different from those used at present?
For the artifacts, the presentation of their basic function can practically transmit the view of the designer's creation, but the reasons of being used in user's social life are missing. Consequently, from the ways of studying material culture, the life contexture, social environment, artifacts themselves and producing technology are the indispensable factors in exploring material culture.
The commonly seen exhibitions of artifacts are mainly neglected the essentials of ”cultural contexture” and ”social significance” behind them. Transiting the ancient artifacts to display in museum, the original ambience is no more existing for the artifacts themselves, it comes off the contexture. For a visitor, it actually exists a gap in the information communication of the exhibition.
The special exhibition of ”Voyage of the Past-Living Technologies in Taiwan's Early Restoration” is currently under design and the main idea is to rebuild the landscape of agricultural village and temple around the time of Taiwan's reversion in order to show the civilians' various life styles. Besides, the street and shop will be built in simulation to the real one in order to reconstruct a reminiscent ambience of all professions. When visitors walk around in the exhibition hall, they will feel being situated in the past and at the same time, learn from the introduction of the scientific principles of all related mechanic tools, their origins and history as well as some related idioms.
Western scholars regard material culture and consuming culture as the important issue in their studies. However, in China, the researchers who studied material culture in the past always started from the view of art history and did little studies on the multifaceted aspects of eating, dressing, inhabiting, traveling and entertaining. This article discusses the view of displays of artifacts, so that it can be a reference for the displays of technology-related artifacts. In the future, if there's any opportunity, the exhibition of the two big groups regarding Taiwanese residents, i.e. the Aborigine and Hakka, will also be included in the considered series of scheme. Or, a sub-theme can be chosen, so as to compare the life wisdom of the machines and utensils among all groups of people. It will be quite significant to explore and understand the rapport between the interactions and cultural development of all groups.