Interpreting the Industrial Heritage: A Case Study on Kaohsiung Sugar Refinery

• Main Authors: Hsin-Lin Wen, 溫欣琳
• Other Authors: 黃貞燕
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/46be8q

碩士 === 國立臺北藝術大學 === 博物館研究所碩士班 === 98 === The industrial heritage is a new type of heritage, which conservation has become an important subject since 20th century. The industrial heritage is about the development of industrial technology, the changes of life style, the re-construction of urban city which was heavily destroyed by war, and the urban planning of modern times. By far the concept of heritage conservation has changed from not only the beauty and the age but also including more characteristics, such as to consider “what is heritage” and the notice about heritage of people’ s life, which represent social life and community culture. That is why the industrial culture and technical objects are so important and becoming “heritage.” Museum seems to be the correct and perfect way to re-use the industrial heritage for its multiple functions, especially its way to interpret objects. Museum curators research and discover the story of objects or phenomena, to re-organize all the documents and sources, then to show and tell the amazing stories to the public. Moreover, during the process of constructing a museum, experts from different academic fields and people who care about the heritage all join in and build a broad network of social resources. By analyzing the structure of an exhibition and the technology in use, we can understand how the curator define the museum, his or her opinion on interpreting the industrial heritage, the un-discovered operation of power, and the characteristics of industrial culture. This research takes Kaohsiung Sugar Refinery for example to explore themes about interpreting the industrial heritage: analyzing the structure of exhibition and the opinion of the curator (Taiwan Sugar Corporation), and depicting the process from the movement of preserving the sugar refinery to the set of museum. The aim is to point out that the firm and close relationship between industrial heritage and different communities. Finally, we found that the curator’s opinion and the community culture have great influence on interpreting industrial heritage, most industry or company prefer to set their heritage in the context of industrial technology and science and to show their achievements, but there is a lack of considering the social and cultural aspects, and they seldom talk about the unpleasant issues, such as the harm to people health. Museum is thought to be the base of social movement, the public sphere, and the institute of social education, ought to supply audiences multiple opinions/ideas and chances to think and to discuss. I also want to remind that when interpreting industrial heritage one should not only care about the formation of a museum, but to grab the central concept and function of communication and the nature of museums. That will really help the conservation of industrial heritage.