2013, No. 1 (4), On Representation

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Violetta Julkowska
Multimedia Illusions as a Representation of the Past

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Keywords: representation of the past, historical panorama, Pergamon Museum, massmedia, mass culture.

Abstract:
In the article, the problem of representing the past is shown as an example of forms of graphic representation of the past, such as the historical panorama. The way of development from the historical painting panorama to the historical photographic panorama in the form of an a historical multimedia event, became a good starting point for reflection on the subject of the historism of interpretation of the past and ways of representation of the past changing with them. Pointing out the relations between authors of presenting the past and its potential receivers is a different problem. In the course of this relationship there appears to be a type of communication, suitable for needs and possibilities of the receiver and there is also an announcement in the form of representation of the past. The point of reference is the multimedia panorama of the ancient city of Pergamon, which was exhibited in Berlin (2011-2012) and the exposition of ancient architecture and sculptures in the Pergamon Museum. From comparing these two expositions, there appeared two models of functioning of the knowledge of the past (the educational model and Cornelius Holtorf's democratic model) and various forms of experiencing the past by participants in mass culture. It is a different problem to understand one's role by representatives of science, art and media, which are engaged in creating the above mentioned representations of the past.

About Author:
JULKOWSKA VIOLETTA - Professor at the Institute of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.