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Citation: S/HE: An International Journal of Goddess Studies V1 N2 (2022)
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Published date: October 31, 2022
Publisher: Helen Hye-Sook Hwang, Ph.D.
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Abstract: Both the National Museum of Serbia in Belgrade and the British Museum in London had special exhibits that dealt with Goddess Studies in 2022. The first was on “Goddesses of Classical Antiquity” and the second was entitled “Feminine Power – the divine to the demonic.” These two special exhibits showcased not only divine feminine figures, but also demonstrated the evolving role of special exhibitions and collections in state-run museums. Accompanying this article is an interview with Belinda Crerar, the curator of the Citi Exhibition “Feminine Power,” conducted in July, 2022.
Keywords: World Goddesses, Classical Goddesses, Special Museum Exhibitions, Museums
There were two goddess related special exhibits in European museums this past spring and summer, one in May in Belgrade at the National Museum of Serbia and the other at the British Museum in London from 19 May to 25 September. The first was strictly on classical goddesses from antiquity, although the museum also has a remarkable Neolithic collection that includes female divine figures from that era. The second was more broad ranging, including artifacts from the Neolithic to the modern age and from all inhabited six continents. In Belgrade, the special exhibit on goddesses from the classical period included just works from their collection; the British Museum’s Citi Exhibition, “Feminine power – the divine to the demonic,” curated by Belinda Crerar, included works that were loaned to the museum for the exhibition as well as a work that was created specifically for it. The two exhibitions offer interesting insights into how a state-run museum’s mission dictates the approach to a topic such as the divine feminine and how the role of a museum is changing. This article will discuss the structures of the two special exhibits and the perspectives and questions they raise. It will, however, not discuss each artifact in the special exhibits, but rather a representative selection of them. I was fortunate to be able to visit both, the National Museum of Serbia in Belgrade in May and the British Musuem in London in July. The following impressions and comments are derived from these visits and the printed material that was available in English at both national museums….
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S/HE: An International Journal of Goddess Studies Volume 1 Number 2 (2022)