In Flanders Field Museum Ieper

[cdr]

The museum reopens this saturday after refurbishing.

http://www.inflandersfields.be/en

link to the English site

I'm a bit worried about what I can see here (high tech approach, peacemuseum, and serving according to Flemish politicians to increase tourism)

Carl

[Seadog]

Any guesses as to exactly what this means?

Quote:

"Because the nature of war does not change in time, the museum considers presenting this war story as a universal and contemporary message of peace, and therefore an important social mission. The museum works closely together with partners who share its mission and works within the framework of Ypres City of Peace"

Norman

[peterhogg]

Well, for one thing, if "the nature of war does not change in time" then war will always be part of the human condition. I gather that's not the message intended. Seems at best, the mission statement demonstrates that the nature of obscurantism doesn't change much either.

[egbert]

I'm a bit worried about what I can see here (high tech approach, peacemuseum, and serving according to Flemish politicians to increase tourism)

Carl

I would not wonder, if leftist and activist Piet Chielens is still the curator of IFF, he had his influential paintbrush dominating the museum context. New is, that he obviously learned quick on how to get along with capitalism, making good revenue for the benefit of the city all with a little help of certain Flemish politicians. That's not bad at all. Well, peace is a wonderful experience if it is meant without mendacity.

[Seadog]

War is Peace

Black is White

(1984 Orwell)

Sort of

Norman

[cdr]

Piet Chielens is still in charge. He wants to make people think and give a message of peace.

Link (in flemish) : http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/regio/westvlaanderen/120605_IFFM_algemeen_vrede

Carl

[Waggoner]

I will be in Ieper later this month. Is this a good museum to visit?

All the best,

Gary

[Seadog]

Gary because the museum has been extensively revamped we will rely on you and no doubt others to give us their views on whether all the work has been a success. Any comment now on the old configuration would be pointless.

Regards

Norman.

[peterhogg]

Piet Chielens is still in charge. He wants to make people think and give a message of peace.

Link (in flemish) : http://www.deredacti..._algemeen_vrede

Carl

Well, that's awesome, but the point I was making is that "social mission(s)" frequently sacrifice context and analysis on the altar of a political or ideological message. If the focus of the exhibits is simply that peace is good and war is bad, then the whole thing is rather simplistic to the point of being fanciful and meaningless. One may quite rightly emphasize the horrors of war (the effects) but without the context of the root causes of the conflict, or any conflict for that matter, the exhibits are nothing more than manipulated props in support of rhetoric that panders to one view, that of the curator. Fine, let him build his own museum in his basement and not try to force-feed this indigestible pablum to those interested in a reasoned and nuanced portrayal of the battles that engulfed the region. People with "messages" make me nervous, since the flip-side of their message is invariably intolerance to other views. The other effect of this kind of analysis is that conflict is simply relativized, such that all parties to the conflict are portrayed as misguided and benighted and the war reduced to a massive exercise in foolhardiness and irrelevancy: No one is right, therefore no one was wrong. (Speaking of moral relativism, as an aside, I wonder how he'd tackle a museum focusing on Belgium and the Second World War...)Nevertheless, I will go see it and hope for pleasant surprises.

[old-ted]

I have a tour there on 12th so will have a look & post my comments.

Regards

John

[egbert]

Well, that's awesome, but the point I was making is that "social mission(s)" frequently sacrifice context and analysis on the altar of a political or ideological message. If the focus of the exhibits is simply that peace is good and war is bad, then the whole thing is rather simplistic to the point of being fanciful and meaningless. One may quite rightly emphasize the horrors of war (the effects) but without the context of the root causes of the conflict, or any conflict for that matter, the exhibits are nothing more than manipulated props in support of rhetoric that panders to one view, that of the curator. Fine, let him build his own museum in his basement and not try to force-feed this indigestible pablum to those interested in a reasoned and nuanced portrayal of the battles that engulfed the region. People with "messages" make me nervous, since the flip-side of their message is invariably intolerance to other views. The other effect of this kind of analysis is that conflict is simply relativized, such that all parties to the conflict are portrayed as misguided and benighted and the war reduced to a massive exercise in foolhardiness and irrelevancy: No one is right, therefore no one was wrong. (Speaking of moral relativism, as an aside, I wonder how he'd tackle a museum focusing on Belgium and the Second World War...)Nevertheless, I will go see it and hope for pleasant surprises.

Excellent statement! Very well said. This is exactly the reason why I get nervous when Piet Chielens is in the game.

[nigelcave]

Piet Chielens is still in charge. He wants to make people think and give a message of peace.

Link (in flemish) : http://www.deredacti..._algemeen_vrede

Carl

Whilst looking at the link (and going off topic) I noticed a reference to the extension of the A19; if I have the sense of it correctly, it looks as though this has now got the go ahead. This might well be old news, but it was news to me.

[Glyno]

Looking forward to visiting the museum again in July. I and others missed out in Feb because of the alterations ( I knew it was shut well in advance tho). Be interesting to see any new additons and compare to the last time I was there.

[PBI]

I am in Ypres Area for 5 Days starting Monday with a small group,and we have already agreed that we wont be visiting the Museum if Mr.Chielens is charge.as we suspect what fare awaits us.

[Seadog]

Go on Russ we need your opinion of the new setup!

Norman

[cdr]

http://www.inflandersfields.be/en/practical/prices-and-opening-hours

link to prices (8 € for adult, 1€ if under 25)

[egbert]

For those who want to visit activist Piet Chielens' museum for free, here is the link . Just clip off the coupon of mentioned daily on Saturday, 16th and present the coupon to the museum cashier

http://www.standaard.be/extra/flandersfields

[Aurel Sercu]

I was there yesterday. (People from Ypres had the opportunity of a free preview.)

I did not see any fundamental differences from the previous version, not in concept, philosophy,... (Not that I expected them.)

But there were more touch screen opportunities, and I'm sure some (younger ?) people will enjoy this. (If they work !)

Some other things didn't work either. Or maybe it's because I am too old to understand how these things work. (But so were others, younger than me.)

Screens with personal stories told by actors : good idea.

50 % more than before ? Yes, in surface.

General impression is OK though. And I would not discourage anyone. Even with 'activist' Piet Chielens in charge. :-)

After all, de gustibus et coloribus et 'museums' non est disputandum.

Oh, by the way, 230 steps into the Belfry Tower is a lot. Even more when ascending than descending.

Aurel

[Mark Hone]

Any more on the A19? Is it going to follow the revised 'dogleg' route rather than cutting across Pilkem Ridge?

[roel22]

Mark, according to this story from 8 june (in Dutch) the plans to expand the A19 to the coast have been cancelled forgood.

The N8 between Ypres and Veurne will be upgraded to deal with traffic.

Roel

[Chris_Baker]

I visited the renewed IFF museum a few days ago. Impressions

- broadens the story to include the Yser battles

- an all-sides presentation, and at times you might be forgiven for not knowing the BEF were at Ypres at all

- interesting use of space and design, but is perhaps style overcoming substance in places

- some good technical features, such as an animation of the movements of armies that led to the First Battle and to the Yser

- a downtuning of the peace and political messages from the previous version of IFF, but still present at the end

- the explanation of the April 1918 German offensive was simply bad.

- some buttons etc not working, which I expect are teething troubles

- a very large new cafe

- a bookshop with much by way of poetry and battlefield guides and very few military history titles.

Overall: good value price-wise, good for children, but I have to say that the new museum at Meaux (and even in a tiny way the new museum at Bullecourt) knocks spots off it.

Tip: hand your poppy wristband in at the end and get 1 Euro back. I did not see this announced anywhere but it happened!

[egbert]

So Chris, can I sum it up:

Im Westen nichts Neues!

[cdr]

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=DMF20120615_00186434

Article about Chielen and the Iepermuseum (in flemish)

interesting quote : 'English people still see war as a heroic military event'

and he is a bit upset when people say that his museum is a sort of Disneyfication

Carl

[Sapper D.]

(couldn't find a slot for this message anywhere else - sorry if I've messed up)

Holy Thread Resurrection time:

Was there last Sunday. Couple of observations:

- the building seems to be in some sort of refurbishment? The space seems (last time I was here was about 10 years ago) much more cramped but that doesn't stop the ammount of visitors in the museum. It was (too) cramped at times. 

- why allow guided groups (when the museum is crowded) who cause traffic-jams and noise pollution? 

- the building was icy.

- guide of said group announced that the British infantryman wasn't that brave really. Interested, I evesdropped. Apparently fags & booze (SRD) wasn't enough and the officers imported (??) opium from Amsterdam to keep the PBI doped up enough so that they would carry out their job. I walked on. BTW, the group were British. I looked this up later & I THINK she means morphine (which indeed is an opiat) , which, as far as I am aware, was soley used on wounded soldiers. Right? I've never heard of drugs being smuggled out of Amsterdam, never! 

- at the end of the museum they had a temporary exhibition on the graveyards (generally speaking). Very good! The lady in charge expreseed her opinion (we both admired "the Brooding Soldier") that it was the Allies (French) who first used poisonous gas in WW1 , which surprised me. Once home I read up on this and I think she means the French use of tear gas, prior to the 1915 terror attack by the Germans. Tear gas? The police use tear gas and it's hardly as lethal as, say, chlorine gas, is it now? 

We had two newbies in our group and they enjoyed the museum a lot. Especially one, as there was a fair ammont (& about time too!!!) of ANZAC (NZ) info. 

I won't be going there for another 10 years or so. 

PS: I thought the image below was brilliant. Stark, yes, but amazing. Well done All.