Fig. 1: View of the Cast Gallery, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford
What is your topic of research, and what led you to choose it?
My PhD focuses on archaeological casts and their value in museums today. My case study is the Cast Gallery of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, one of the richest and best-preserved collections in the country. I spent one year there as a visiting student, while doing fieldwork at the Museum, the Faculty of Classics and the Classical Art Research Centre.
By definition, casts are replicas of some of the most important artworks of antiquity. At the same time, they are also modern and contemporary creations and accessioned museum objects. However, this second aspect of casts as objects in their own right generally does not emerge in the museum interpretation, as the main narrative is devoted to the stories of the ancient originals.
This project combines themes I explored during both previous work experience and academic studies. In Pavia, the city I come from in Italy, in 2015 I collaborated on the opening of the Modern Sculpture and Cast Gallery section of the City Museums. That was my first encounter with casts. At the end of the same year, I enrolled in a Master in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, and there I had the opportunity to think about issues related to originality and replicability more in depth.
Where did you study previously? What was your academic path?
I studied in Italy and in the UK. I hold a Master’s Degree in Classical Archaeology from the University of Pavia, and a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester. My research interests cover various aspects of ancient art, such as iconography, iconology, Classical reception, etc. As a museum professional, I look at the relationships established between people and objects in the museum space, curatorial practices, and the ways in which authenticity is understood, as well as to what extent it affects visitors’ experiences.
Fig. 2: New Wing, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
What is your favourite museum or art gallery, and why?
This is a very challenging question and I don’t have a definitive answer for sure! I am emotionally attached to many museums, including places that are familiar to me, like the Vatican Museums or the Ashmolean, or which I have only visited once. I enjoy going to temporary shows, too. In this regard, I found the exhibition ‘Homo Ludens. Videogames to Understand the Present’ at CaixaForum, Madrid, that I saw last July to be particularly interesting. It tackles ideas around playing following different perspectives (anthropological, historical, ethical, artistic), while questioning the role of the videogames industry and its impact on societal inequalities, medical progress and urban development. Visitors are invited to actively engage with such issues by answering questions using a token - at the end, their avatar is created. I liked it because it was interactive and informative. It made me reflect on a topic I did not know much about - nor that I thought was so controversially embedded with our society. I think this show perfectly reflects the purpose of contemporary cultural institutions.
Do you have any advice for future PhD students?
To do a PhD in Museum Studies at Leicester was my dream, and I am honoured to now be part of this cutting-edge and vibrant community.
The possibilities of both professional and personal development a doctorate offers are multiple and varied, including opportunities such as organisation of events, participation in conferences, international travelling and exchanges, networking, placements and so on. It is also true that it can be a lonely journey, stressful and intense at times. It requires passion, dedication and self-control.
To anyone interested in pursuing a PhD, I would suggest, firstly, to select a topic they like, one that would be meaningful to them, because they will spend most of their energies and time on it. Finding a fitting supervisor and mentor is equally important. It would also be useful to talk with former and present PhD students to receive genuine insights on the challenges and benefits of living such an experience.
Chiara Marabelli
PhD student
AHRC Midlands4Cities DTP
Email: cm691@leicester.ac.uk
Twitter: @Kiki_Museo
Link to the ‘Homo Ludens’ exhibition: https://caixaforum.org/es/madrid/p/homo-ludens-videojuegos-para-entender-el-presente_a12678239 (Spanish only)
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