展演身體感知及其作為博物館研究的方法之芻議

Abstract

博物館為何需要重視身體感知及其研究？作為現代性產物，即使隨著新博物館學論述的誕生，博物館在研究、展示與觀眾經驗的製造上仍側重物質的視覺面向。然而，人類生活的經驗與記憶，是由身體分析當下所有感官訊息的結果，也因此能夠理解身體感知與物質文化的關係具有社會意涵。同時，博物館若視身體為記憶的載體，便表示博物館認同外在的物質與個體精神世界的差異性，並認同可透過個體身體動態保存文化遺產，延續集體記憶。亞太地區的博物館近年來逐漸出現新的趨勢，以回應文化多元性與文化平權的要求，而在原有基礎上，增加非視覺的研究、展示與教育活動。因此，本文首先簡要回顧博物館中關於博物館中視線的生成、身體與感知的研究趨勢及其於博物館研究領域的應用。其次，本文以新加坡美術館與國立臺灣史前文化博物館的展覽為案例，討論感知介入博物館展覽的不同方法。透過實例分析，本文指出當代博物館對於感知與身體記憶的重視，有助於其補充以視覺為主的物質文化研究，為博物館研究提供更多元的理論、突破的出口，跳脫出侷限在物質文化的研究，並對以物為主的論述的權力展開批判。同時，透過保存與再現非視覺文化資產，可使個體得以更平等的共感文化內容，切身感受物質與非物質文化的社會意義，構築其「身」為文化記憶的載體，動態保存並傳承歷史記憶。

Why do museums need to pay attention to embodiment and sensorial studies? Modern museums and their exhibitions are visually oriented and are often positioned as a space where one is not supposed to indulge one's ＂lower＂ senses. However, human experience and social memory are produced and reproduced through sensory and bodily engagements, which are crucial carriers of material culture and its social meanings, and therefore have the potential to preserve cultural heritage in dynamic ways. Using the concepts of ＂situated knowledge＂ and ＂sensory ethnography＂, this paper discusses how sensorial and bodily elements are utilized in museum spaces through two case studies: Singapore Art Museum and the National Taiwan Museum of Prehistoric Culture. This paper points out that museum exhibitions which demonstrate sensorial and embodiment elements are able to produce dynamic contents and tell versatile stories. Placing emphasis on perception and body memory, these exhibitions are therefore able to transcend visually-based material culture research and provide meta-theories for museum studies. At the same time, by preserving and representing non-visual cultural heritage, these exhibitions show how sensory embodied knowledge can transmit between person and generations through the visitors' sensorial and material engagement in the exhibitions.