Verena Wallner

The research project seeks to open up the interdisciplinary dialogue between (technical) art history and art technology in museums. In a first step exhibitions with art technological contents are regarded as a phenomenon and their historical development is retraced. The question “Why now?” is building the narrative bridge between the historical reconstruction and the currently increasing tendency of showing results of technical examinations in exhibitions. The other fundamental part of the dissertation project is recording the status quo of German, Dutch and British exhibition types and modes of presentation of scientific results of technical examination. The aim is to establish an internationally comparative typology. On the basis of case studies and collaborations with partner institutions of the Graduate Research Programme, the project also aims at evaluating the visitors’ perceptions in order to analyse the audience’s interest in technical examinations contents in exhibitions. After all, it must be asked whether the additional benefit that museums hope to achieve by integrating technical research content into exhibitions matches the public’s perception. Or do museums need to reposition themselves for being able to convey material aspects and tell stories about artistic production processes of objects in art exhibitions?

Personal Data

Verena Bergmann studied literature, art and media studies (with a focus on Kunstwissenschaft) and German as a Foreign Language at the University of Konstanz. During her studies she spent several months studying and working in Italy, Finland and Canada. Besides working as student assistant and as a teacher of German as a foreign language, she guided visitor groups in various art exhibitions and gallery spaces. Since November 2018 she is a doctoral researcher in the research training group "Changing Frames", within whose partner network she also works on exhibitions and their mediation programmes.