Collecting the Past, Making the Future, Ulster Museum
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![A woman looks at display of objects, including a fabric banner with the words 'The Falls Remembers the Hunger Strikers' and an army-green helmeted uniform.]()
An exhibition exploring new dialogues between the Museum and its audiences, to mark the centenary of the act of Partition
Collecting the Past / Making the Future, National Museums Northern Ireland, Ulster Museum , 25 May – 19 September 2021, Curated by NMNI and Nerve Centre.
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![Groups of visitors look at displays in a gallery. Each display section has a yellow title, a showcase display and graphics of storage boxes beneath it. Metal tubes run from the display across the ceiling.]()
The exhibition explores the impact and legacy of the act of Partition on Northern Ireland, and events across the last 100 years, while encouraging visitors to reflect on the future. The project was part of a multi-site series of activities throughout 2021 that marked the centenary of Northern Ireland.
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![A visitor looks at a display of objects behind glass, including a grey military jacket and a selection of objects on an art handling trolley.]()
Object displays were inspired by the Museum's storerooms. Art handling trolleys and archival boxes were used in the place of plinths, with index cards used as labels and theme text appearing on storage boxes. This "behind the scenes" feel foregrounded how the curation of objects created the story being told – and that the Museum's collections had potential to tell many different kinds of stories from different viewpoints.
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![On the left of a gallery visitors look at a set of painted portraits displayed on a freestanding wall. On the back of that wall, a group of visitors take selfies. Behind them, visitor faces are displayed on digital tablets.]()
On a freestanding wall in the middle of the gallery are a set of portraits of the key figures behind the act of Partition. On the opposite side of the wall, visitors can take a selfie and add their picture to a gallery of digital portraits. The implication was that the future of Northern Ireland was now in the hands of the public.
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![A visitor uses a touchscreen to select an image of a bumblebee. A projected image in front of them has the words "votes today" and shows the bee alongside other photos.]()
Visitors were asked to identify areas of interest for the Museum should collect in the future, by making a selection on a digital screen. Their choice was added to the total results, which was displayed on a projection on the wall opposite.
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![A visitor bends down to press buttons on a metal tube which sits to the side of a display of objects.]()
Audio stations alongside each showcase allowed visitors to hear audio descriptions of the objects on display. The commentries came from local community members, providing an alternative voice to the Museum's.
