SKANSENS – MODERN ONCE AGAIN

Abstract

Open-air museums represent specific structures whose primary goal is to conserve and present the entirety of life. Based on so called living history concepts, American (and to somewhat lesser extent – but nevertheless with continuously more success and engagement - European) open-air museums present and interpret everyday life through forms of theatre, first-person (singular or plural) narration and interpretation, interactive re-enactment, more and more popular, yet demanding, roleplay models, mimes, games, i. e. through interpretative and presentational models which could be designated as edutainment.

Stemming from Riviere’s ecomuseology on one side, and from Disney’s successful simulacra on the other, these museums are no longer questioning issues of heritage and the past, but issues of heritage at present and future potentials. That certainly doesn’t mean that the relevant historical context is of no importance, but rather that the questions of identifying with the past from the contemporary perspective (the only possible perspective) represents the key factor for successful presentation and interpretation of heritage.

The ultimate aim of this paper is not to discuss the issues of readability of temporal structure of heritage from customary heritology standpoints, but to point out to ideas and practices of international open-air museums through particular cases, museums that once again became places which clearly identify common values of different eras, something that very much corresponds with original tendencies of their ‘founding fathers’. At the same time, it also gives a good opportunity to identify the current positioning and importance of Serbia’s sole official ‘Skansen’- Open Air Museum ‘Sirogojno’, in comparison to global flows with regard to Skansen museums in recent decades.