How did the collection come to be?
To create this exhibition, each curator was assigned an object from the various UCL museum collections. All objects come from, and existed in varying countries, time periods and cultural contexts - each with its own unique functions and characteristics that defined them and also the period that it exists within.
We collectively chose the theme of Power in Society as it brought the various objects together and allowed us to make a social commentary about power and its perception in today's society.
Through this chosen theme, we researched and critically analysed the objects in relation to its historical, meaning original, and contemporary museum setting and the role it has/had.
This allows us to make critical statements about the perception and understanding of power in society allowing us to critically engage with the audience to progress understanding and thinking.
Target Audience
The intended audience for our exhibition are individuals 16+, who might have had some level of education, but not necessarily to tertiary level. We aim this exhibition at those who haven't engaged with history or sociology on a deeper level, such as through a university degree (though this demographic of course, is not excluded either). This is not to suggest that only those who attend university are able to form critical opinions - on the contrary. We simply want to make sure that our exhibition isn't weighed down by academia. Our ethos is that everyone is able to draw their own conclusions about the world around them, they just need to be given enough information.
We'd like our audience to engage with the exhibition past their initial impressions, beyond what is 'cool', or 'pretty, or 'off-putting' and be prompted into questioning the power structures that surround them and their role within it.