The star of the show: display, ideology and controversy in the almost human display at Maropeng

Abstract

his study explores the Almost Human exhibition at Maropeng Visitor Centre, an exhibition which details the discovery, analysis and interpretation of new ancient human ancestor, Homo naledi. Previous research on the Maropeng Visitor Centre has not dealt with the Almost Human exhibition, nor the specific ideologies promoted through exhibitionary devices at Maropeng in general. In this study, I examine the exhibitionary strategies employed by the scientists, curators and exhibition designers, to promote ideologies regarding the nature of science, to communicate the prestige and value of the Homo naledi discovery, as well as utilise the museum space as a place of entertainment and authoritative knowledge. Through detailed visual analysis of the construction and presentation of the display, as well as interviews with experts involved in the discovery and display, this study reveals notions regarding the current objectives of scientific displays, as well as museum displays dealing with human evolution. These devices are seen at the Almost Human exhibition, where contemporary as well as conventional strategies of inclusion, control over visitors, strategies of persuasion, and elements of hype, celebrity and theatricality, are employed in order to create a successful exhibition. The actual evolutionary significance of the Homo naledi find is carefully excluded from the exhibition to allow for engagement of a wider audience of visitors. This exhibition is successful in its aims of creating an exciting display showcasing the Homo naledi fossil find. Many people can engage with the exhibition owing to the multitude of modes of representation. The exhibition may serve as a local example of how museum spaces are tackling controversial issues like human evolution and public understanding of, and involvement in, scientific discoveries, at a time when these spaces are increasingly in competition with other forms of knowledge dissemination and entertainment. Key words: Keywords: Homo naledi; Maropeng; museology; human evolution; display