Migration in Museums: Narratives of Diversity in Europe Berlin,
October 23-25, 2008

A Call for Conference Participation

Open to museum professionals, exhibition curators, researchers from the
humanities and social sciences, representatives from immigrant
communities and artists.

organized by: Network Migration in Europe e. V.; ICOM Europe
(International Council of Museums); Centre de Documentation sur les
Migrations Humaines, Dudelange (Luxemburg)

in cooperation with the following six Berlin-based museums: Deutsche
Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen/Museum of Film and
Television; Jüdisches Museum Berlin/Jewish Museum Berlin; Jugendmuseum
Schöneberg/Youth Museum Schöneberg; Kreuzberg Museum; Museum Neukölln;
Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin (Märkisches Museum)/City Museum Berlin

Topic

Questions of immigration and integration have become key issues in
contemporary European intellectual and political debates. In the wake of
European societies’ ongoing social and economic incorporation of
millions of immigrants and refugees, questions pertaining to the
cultural representation of these processes are increasingly emerging.
Debates about the interconnectedness of immigration, history and memory,
as well as on commemorative practices in diverse societies are gaining
momentum. As a consequence, cultural institutions are challenged by
rethinking and the possibility of reconceptualizing their work. This is
particularly true for (historical) museums and their narratives. Museums
in Europe currently encounter a threefold challenge. First, they face a
new social structure of visitors: more and more people of immigrant
origin have become an important target group as European societies
diversify. Second, the predominant, and often prevailing, national
frameworks and the national historical narratives used in historical
exhibition have been questioned by immigration and the challenge it
poses to national master narratives. Third, the history of immigration
itself becomes a rising field for historical reflection, research and
commemoration, thus diversifying the landscape of historical studies,
historical exhibitions and museums.

Scope and Goals of the Conference

The conference will bring together museum professionals, exhibition
curators, researchers from the humanities and social sciences,
(cultural) representatives from immigrant communities and artists. The
format will transcend the traditional format of an (academic)
conference. Next to a common opening and a public concluding session,
participants will intensively work in six different workshops. Each
workshop comprises 10 to 12 participants and will last for 1.5 days. The
goal of the workshops is to initiate a European process of reflection
and discussion on migration in museums in order to generate new ideas,
new concepts, new narratives and new perspectives. We do not expect
lengthy papers from participants, but rather short and sharp
contributions for intensive discussions enabling new interpretations,
which will confront established patterns of thought and practice and
will enrich our imagination in the field. The minutes of the workshops
will be the basis for a publication to be launched in 2009.

Framework of the Conference

The conference will be the concluding event for a research and interview
project with immigrant artists (film makers and writers) in ten European
cities (Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Istanbul, London, Luxemburg, Madrid,
Oslo, Paris, Warsaw). The interviews will focus on the reflections of
these intellectuals on history and historical narratives, be it their
own life histories as immigrants, be it their reflection upon the
history of their countries of origin/destination, be it European
history, be it immigration history. These interviews will result in a
webpage and a documentary. Moreover, the film footage is planned to work
as intellectual stimulus for the conference and workshops, and it will
be shown in the participating six museums from October 23 to 25. The
interviewed artists will be invited to Berlin as participants in the
conference and workshops.

Application

Applications for participation are welcome through the deadline of May
30, 2008. Your application should include a mini essay/sketch of ideas
(a max. of 600 words), a short biographical note (not more than two
pages) and a list of (selected) publications, curated exhibitions or
other relevant work in the field of immigration and/or museums. The
essay should reflect upon and discuss the following question:

"How to represent and/or exhibit diversity in Europe?"

The text can be a classical mini-essay or a sketch of ideas for a
cultural project in a museum or an exhibition. It can also touch upon
wider questions and travel beyond the museum's walls. Versions of these
essays (though not in an elaborated academic form) will serve as input
statements for the workshops in order to trigger discussions.

Applications will be considered on a competitive basis. In addition to
40 invited speakers, 25 to 30 places are open to respondents to this
Call for Participation. Limited financial support for the participants
is available to subsidize travel and accommodation expenses. It can be
granted upon request.

For further information, please visit the website:
http://www.network-migration.org/workshop2008
or contact us via E-mail (Migration.Museumsweb.de). Applications
should be sent to the given email address by May 30, 2008. The
selection committee will choose and notify the participants by the end
of June 2008.