學術資源整合系統-相關推薦
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| 作者 | Chia-Li Chen & Hsu Huang |
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| 出版日期 | 201511 |
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| 著作名稱 | Displaying and Engaging Visitors in Difficult Issues: A Study on Visitors Comments on “When the South Wind Blows”
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| 摘要 | How severely has pollution impacted the daily life of the residents of one coastal village? How may a museum of natural science contribute to protecting the environment? These were the questions raised by curators of “When the South Winds Blows: the Documentary Photographs of Taixi Village”, an exhibition held at the National Museum of Natural Science (NMS) in Taiwan. The NMS collaborated with two photographers to document in photographs the lives and sufferings of the residents of Taixi Village, a small and remote village on the northern bank of the Zhuoshui River in southwestern Taiwan. Southerly air currents during the summertime carry the pollution that is regularly broadcast into the air from the 398 smokestacks of the Sixth Naphtha Cracking Plant over this village. Studies have associated this pollution with the high risk of cancer faced by Taixi residents.
The narrative of the exhibit highlighted the effects of pollution on the lives of residents within the larger framework of contemporary environmental problems. The sound of heartbeats, a metaphor for the fate of the residents of Taixi Village, greeted visitors at the entrance to the exhibition, which covered eight distinct themes. In addition, black and white photographs with labels presented shocking stories about this land and its people. Some of the photographs portrayed elderly residents holding the death photos of their beloved ones, conveying the torment of pollution-related illnesses and death. To engage visitors to reflect upon the exhibition, computer stations displayed a series of three questions for visitors to answer. A systematic analysis of 1,780 comments that were submitted by visitors revealed that nearly half related to the exhibit content and design. Many of the comments expressed sorrow and shock at the experience and some expressed strong criticism of the roles of the government and of the Formosa Plastics Corporation in creating and exacerbating the problem of pollution. The comments that answered the questions raised by the curators revealed that the exhibition successfully stimulated visitors to reflect on the long-term costs of economic development and on the importance of protecting the environment. The present paper provides an in-depth exploration of visitor comments and explores the potential role of the exhibition of natural science museum in promoting human rights by presenting provocative social issues. |
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| 系統號 | NO000004056 |
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