On the Question of the Continuity of Saite Traditions in Dynasty 30 (Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum E.5.1909; Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum 56.152)

When W.M. Flinders Petrie excavated the Palace of Apries he uncovered a limestone block with inscriptions on both sides. This block was published in 1909 and is now kept in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Bernard Bothmer first compared the Cambridge block to another one kept in the Brooklyn Museum. He emphasized that they correspond closely and that the representations differ only minutely. After Bothmer’s publication, both artifacts were considered as originally parts of a single structure. In this contribution the function of the monument of which this block was originally a part will be investigated. The proposed interpretation gives rise to a new reading of religious representations of the ancient Egyptians. It is not about overcoming the barriers of the underworld, but about the practical use of spirits. The texts tell us about the Egyptian belief in affiliating oneself with the spirit of an important person for using it for personal purposes.

Storytelling éphémère à travers les réseaux sociaux

L'utilisation des réseaux sociaux dans le cadre des visites aux musées ne cesse d'augmenter. Cette recherche s’est penchée, au travers d'entretiens semi-directifs et de photo-entretiens (photo-élicitation), sur les stories partagées sur Instagram et Snapchat par des visiteurs du Brooklyn Museum. Les résultats offrent un aperçu des caractéristiques de ces médias éphémères et des motivations qui sous-tendent leur publication. À l’instar de la photographie traditionnelle, le contenu éphémère sur les médias sociaux est souvent motivé par l’intention de saisir une œuvre d'art esthétiquement intéressante, de documenter une émotion, de partager une expérience ou de bâtir une identité personnelle. Cependant, le contenu partagé sur les réseaux est façonné par son caractère éphémère qui induit une préparation et un montage rapides. Les résultats de cette recherche viennent s'ajouter au domaine en pleine évolution des médias sociaux dans le contexte muséal. Ces résultats plaident pour une plus grande proactivité des musées dans la mise en place de politiques et opportunités autour de ces comportements, et pour qu’ils tirent des contenus partagés des enseignements pour la conception des futurs éléments d’interprétation et d'apprentissage.

“Nefertiti Lived Here”

Chapter 9 anchors the history of the rediscovery of ancient Egypt in the archaeological site of Tell el-Amarna (Tall al-ʿAmarnah), Pharaonic Akhetaten, the city of the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), abandoned after his death, together with his religion and cult of the Sun Disc. Excavated before the First World War by German Egyptologists, Amarna was reclaimed by British Egyptological institutions after it. It had a special hold on the archaeological imagination, on visual culture, as well as on the contemporary political imagination. Amarna and its ruler were associated with modernity in discussions on topics ranging from urban and suburban planning and living, through the modern family, to anti-war politics. Amarna’s ephemeral existence was interpreted as a failure of a utopia and as an imperial crisis at the heyday of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, analogous to the imperial crisis of the 1930s and to issues of Britain’s imperial defence. The chapter, which focuses on the excavations under the directorship of J. D. L. Pendlebury, follows representations of Amarna in popular and professional publications, as well as the material history of the findings and their circulation which reflected the economics of Egyptology. The chapter traces the exchange of Amarna objects for financial support, by museums in the USA (mainly the Brooklyn Museum) and in Belgium. The materiality and mobility of Amarna objects are connected to their value and uses, and their emotional value for collectors and archaeologists. The chapter also offers a history of the feelings towards ancient Egypt, demonstrated in the writing of archaeological workers like Mary Chubb.

Wanting More

This essay interrogates the forms of feminist political desire and subject formation being reproduced under the heading of contemporary feminist art. The author considers two recent exhibitions, similarly organized around the theme of intersectionality, that took place over two consecutive summers in New York City: Simone Leigh’s The Waiting Room at the New Museum (2016), and the group exhibit We Wanted a Revolution at the Brooklyn Museum (2017). While both exhibitions promote the work of black women artists at the center of their institutional program-building initiatives, each exhibition forwards a notably distinct version of what counts as “revolutionary” feminist politics. Hayes argues ultimately for an interpretation of Leigh’s work as a prefigurative, utopian feminism that demands more—for example, than mere inclusion—from progressive institutions and feminist art.

Ephemeral Storytelling With Social Media: Snapchat and Instagram Stories at the Brooklyn Museum

The usage of social media in the context of the museum visit continues to grow. This research examined Instagram and Snapchat stories shared by visitors at the Brooklyn Museum via semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation. The results provide insights into the characteristics of this ephemeral media and the motivations behind these posts. Similar to traditional photography, ephemeral content on social media is often motivated by capturing an artwork found to be aesthetically pleasing, documenting a feeling, sharing an experience, or building self-identity. However, the content shared is shaped by the ephemeral aspect that motivates minimal curation and editing. The study results add to the rapidly evolving field of social media within the museum context. Moreover, it advocates for an active role for the museum to have policies and opportunities that respond to these behaviors and learn from the content shared informing interpretation and learning materials.