Museum Object Lessons for the Digital Age

In Haidy Geismar's "Museum Object Lessons for the Digital Age," the Rambaramp is a wooden ceremonial slit-gong from Vanuatu that is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Rambaramp offers a valuable example of how one object can embody multiple meanings and cultural perspectives. This challenges the traditional logic of museums, which tends to place objects within a specific context or interpretation, often prioritizing Western perspectives and historical narratives. The Rambaramp at the Metropolitan Museum of Art reveals a multiplicity of perspectives that challenge museum logic through the following ways: 1. Provenance and Ownership: The Rambaramp's history traces back to various people and places connected to it, such as the original creators in Vanuatu, European collectors, and the museum itself. Each of these stakeholders have different perspectives and ideas about the object's cultural importance, ownership, and use. 2. Contextualization: The way the Rambaramp is displayed in the museum may differ from its intended or traditional purpose within the Vanuatu culture. Museums often focus on aesthetic and historical aspects, while downplaying or ignoring the object's cultural and social significance for the communities that created it. 3. Knowledge Production: The process of researching, cataloging, and displaying an object like the Rambaramp can privilege certain types of knowledge, often stemming from Eurocentric academic or historical perspectives. This can exclude or marginalize the voices and interpretations of the people who created and continue to engage with the object in meaningful ways. The "ontological turn" in anthropology relates directly to these issues. This approach seeks to understand the diverse ways people perceive, categorize, and engage with the world around them, rather than trying to fit them into predetermined categories or theories. It acknowledges that there are multiple valid ways of knowing and being in the world, which should all be taken into consideration while engaging with cultural artifacts like the Rambaramp. By embracing the ontological turn, museums can challenge their traditional logic by: 1. Recognizing and accommodating multiple perspectives about an object's history, significance, and meaning. 2. Engaging with source communities and incorporating their voices in the research, display, and interpretation of their cultural artifacts. 3. Reflecting on the ways museum practices can contribute to the marginalization of certain perspectives and taking steps to minimize those biases. In summary, the Rambaramp's presence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art illustrates how one object can carry multifaceted meanings that challenge traditional museum logic. The ontological turn offers an alternative approach to understanding cultural artifacts by recognizing and respecting the multiple perspectives and ways of knowing present in diverse communities.