At once a Taiwan studies and a museum studies course, this course analyzes a variety of museums in Taiwan—their history, location, architecture, contents, and their constructed narratives—with critical readings in museum studies. The museums featured range from archaeology to contemporary art, from natural history to ethnography, and from concrete artifacts to intangible cultural heritage and digitized material in virtual reality. All are conveniently located in the greater Taipei area for visitations.

Each class will consist of a 2-hour lecture by the instructor, followed by a 1-hour group discussion on key readings or video clips led by the TA. There will be a few museum trips to give students first-hand experiences of institutions introduced in class. Seasoned curators and museum professionals will be invited to give students perspectives from behind-the-scenes.

The course’s goal is threefold: (1) it introduces students to the unique arts, cultures, peoples, and histories of Taiwan as represented through its museums, (2) it brings attention to the historical context that engendered these institutions, (3) and it draws awareness to the theory and practice of collecting, display, and interpretation at work behind the museum’s narratives.

Readings will be mostly in English and occasionally in Chinese. International and local students are strongly encouraged to partner with each other to complete readings and exchange ideas. We will focus on one museum each week and read the museums’ official publications, second-hand scholarship, and studies on similar types of museums abroad.