Encoding Memory through Multimodality in Modern-Day Memorial Museums

Abstract

The article is devoted to the use of technology in memorial museums, particularly in those related to genocide. The authors use a multidisciplinary theoretical framework using a diverse toolkit from Semiotics, Communication Studies, and Philosophy to explain the benefits and dangers of implementing technology in a memorial museum. The framework makes particular use of Peirce’s idea of unlimited semiosis, Eco’s considerations about the multiplicity of meanings and the “open text”, the existence of not one but two narratives in museums—especially in memorial museums—and Heidegger’s writings on technology especially enframing and revealing which are invoked in order to explain the  interplay between technology and memory.  Being based in Yerevan, Armenia, the authors formulate their ideas with the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute (AGMI) in mind. This results in practical recommendations of how technology could be implemented in modern-day memorial museums, and identifies the benefits and dangers that must be kept in mind when doing so. The specific subject matter of the AGMI plays a part in how this discourse evolves and the framework is assembled through an exploration of the term genocide, the historical events and artifacts that are presented in the museum and the current setup of the museum.