META-MUSEUM

META-MUSEUM – Moving Emotions towards confidence in the Transformative Appropriation for a Meaningful Understanding of cultural heritage: a neuroScientific approach to EUropean Museums

Call: [HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-01] — [Research and innovation on cultural heritage and CCIs-2023]

META-MUSEUM proposal is based on the role that empathy can play in understanding the constantly changing nature of CH, and on the role that empathic emotions, co-creation and individual interpretation play in sharing this understanding, and in helping citizens to face current and future societal transformations, with greater confidence.

META-MUSEUM acronym describes the dream to overcome the traditional vision of cultural places, to include people, activities and places in a pervasive, unconventional and emotional way. META-MUSEUM precisely intends to make citizens aware that interpreting CH is everyone’s right, that everyone can transform CH. Actually, it is the behaviour of “ordinary people” (and not the statements of a few scholars) that give meaning and values to CH: as is demonstrated by works of art, monuments or entire cities that over time changed their value and meaning: becoming cult objects, or, conversely, they are firstly refused and then become icons, depending on the dominant ideologies and common thinking. CH is often also bearer, in a subtle way, of societal class differences: certain types of CH seem to be reserved for a select few, because they seem to require a solid cultural background in order to be appreciated and understood: this is the case with archaeological heritage, and that is why META-MUSEUM intends to take up the challenge to focus on it: it is far for present times; it is fragmentary; it often seems to be understandable only by insiders.