@misc{9229178,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines how museums display human remains in relation to artefacts 
within the same exhibition contexts. While previous research has largely focused 
on ethical questions, repatriation, and public reactions to human remains, fewer 
studies have systematically compared how museums materially and affectively 
differentiate human remains from other museum objects. 
The study investigates three museums with different institutional backgrounds: 
Medical Museion in Copenhagen, the Museum of Evolution in Uppsala, and 
Gothenburg City Museum. Through a qualitative and comparative exhibition 
analysis inspired by David Whitehead’s walkthrough methodology, the thesis 
analyses how human remains and artefacts are presented through spatial design, 
display techniques, narrative framing, and affective atmosphere.The theoretical 
framework combines material culture theory and affect theory. Material culture 
theory is used to analyse how objects are assigned cultural and symbolic value, 
while affect theory provides tools for understanding how exhibitions produce 
emotional and sensory responses. 
The findings demonstrate that human remains are consistently treated differently 
from artefacts. Museums frequently use strategies such as isolated placement, 
subdued lighting, warning signs, ethical contextualisation, and individualising 
narratives to frame human remains as morally and emotionally sensitive objects. 
Artefacts, by contrast, are more often presented primarily as historical or scientific 
material. The study also shows that exhibition design strongly shapes affective 
responses such as discomfort, empathy, fascination, and reflection. The thesis 
argues that museums construct human remains as objects with a distinct ontological 
and ethical status. Through exhibition practices, museums actively shape how 
visitors understand, emotionally respond to, and assign value to human remains in 
comparison to artefacts. The study contributes to museological research on 
materiality, affect, and the ethics of display.}},
  author       = {{Åkebrand, Miriam}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Döda kroppar och döda ting : Materialitet och affekt i museiutställningar med mänskliga kvarlevor och artefakter.}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}