Leseprobe

The display of artefacts always implies an external mediation that influences, and often codifies, the reception of the exhibits. Objects are manipulated, restored, appropriated, staged, in short displayed, through various representational strategies that include pedestals, labels, and showcases. These elements, that we could define as parerga , are often ignored because of their utilitarian function. Yet, they play an important role in the history of the artefacts and define the setting inwhich the objects can exert their agency. They not only shape their meaning, but also determine the effect that these arte- facts have on their viewers. Framing devices create the conditions for interactions between the individual and the object to take place. This publication aims to explore the relation between artefacts and viewers as they are manifested in framing devices, and to develop a new theoretical framework for thinking about the power of objects on display. 9 783954 984169 Parerga and Paratexts–How Things Enter Language. Practices and Forms of Presentation in Goethe’s Collections. A collaborative research project by