Potential information gains for exhibition makers and their audience by mapping the movement of objects: The example of material culture of the Byzantine Empire

Abstract

The selection of objects shown in an exhibition is dictated by a range of factors including the curator’s concept for the exhibition, the condition of the object in terms of conservation, financial and legal issues as well as political concerns. Many objects themselves have a history of movement, both before and after their inclusion in a museal collection, that readily lends itself to mapping. Using examples of Byzantine art and material culture, this paper intends to present some potential information gains resulting from the visualization of object movement for both exhibition makers and audience. These insights could touch on the history of the culture in question, the development of public interest in other cultures and the history of their exhibition, the opening of political boundaries, and the breaking down of common mental borders conditioned through popular reception.