Artefacts is an association of historians of science, technology, engineering and medicine working in museums and academic institutions who use material culture in historical study and public displays.
Artefacts encourages new research and collaboration through annual meetings and publications.
History
Artefacts was founded by Deutsches Museum, Science Museum and Smithsonian in 1996. Since then, Artefacts has brought together academics and museum professionals from around the world to share research which focuses on material culture and object studies.
Meetings
Artefacts is held annually in the Autumn, hosted by a museum which specialises in the history of science, technology and medicine.
The 2023 meeting is taking place at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, October 8-10. Please contact artefacts2023@kahaku.go.jp for further information about the conference. Details will be uploaded on to this webpage in the future.
XXVII: Objects of Science and Technology in Motion, October 2022, The Deutsches Museum, Munich
XXVI: Responding to COVID-19, 2021, (virtual Meeting)
XXV: Access, October 2020, Ingenium Canada, Ottawa
XXIV: Diversity, October 2019, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh
XXIII: Relevance of Collections, October 2018, Adler Planetarium, Chicago
XXII: What Works for What Object? Gestures, Savoir-Faire and Body Culture in Museums of Science and Technology, October 2017, Musée des arts et métiers, Paris
XXI: Understanding Use: Science and Technology Objects and Users, October 2016, Science Museum, London
XX: Scientific Heritage at World Exhibitions and Beyond, The Long Twentieth Century, September 2015, Museo Nationale di Storia della Scienza e della Tecnica Leonardo da Vinci, Milan
XIX: Environing Exhibits: Science, Technology, and Museums in the Anthropocene, October 2014, Deutsches Museum, Munich
XVIII: Modern Chemistry and Material Science: Artefacts Tell the Story, October 2013, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia
XVII: National styles and identity: scientific, technical and medical artefacts in a global context, October 2012, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh
XVI: Conceptualizing, Collecting and Presenting recent Science and Technology, September 2011, Museum Boerhaave, Leiden
XV: Knowledge on the Move: Conflict, Displacement and Re-Engineering Society – 1933 to 1989, September 2010, Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa
XIV: Relationships between Science and Technology as expressed in Exhibits, September 2009, Science Museum, London
XIII: Science/Technology and Art, September 2008, Smithsonian (National Museum of American History), Washington
XII: Exploration, September 2007, Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo
XI: Constructing and Deconstructing Icons of Achievement in Science and Technology, September 2006, Nobel Museum, Stockholm
X: Globalization and the History of Science and Technology, November 2005, Smithsonian (National Museum of American History), Washington
IX: Scientific Instruments as Artefacts: Shiny Objects and Black Boxes, October 2004, Universiteitsmuseum, Utrecht
VIII: Music, Acoustics and Technology, September 2003, Technisches Museum, Wien
VII: Space, September 2002, Science Museum, London
VI: Military History, October 2001, Smithsonian (National Museum of American History), Washington
V: Environment, September 2000, Deutsches Museum, Munich
IV: Pictures, September 1999, Musée des arts et métiers, Paris
III: Transportation, September 1998, Deutsches Museum, Munich
II: Electronics, September 1997, Smithsonian (National Museum of American History), Washington
I: Medicine and Health, August 1996, Science Museum, London
Publications
Publications are a core output of Artefacts meetings. Copies are distributed to libraries world-wide and can be accessed from the following links:
Volumes 11 and 12 (Challenging Collections and Behind the Exhibit) are published by Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press and can be downloaded free from the Smithsonian website.
Volume 8: Material Culture and Electronic Sound is available through Rowman and Littlefield.
Volumes 7, 9 and 10 (Illuminating Instruments, Analyzing Art and Aesthetics, and Objects in Motion: Globalizing Technology) are available from Random House.
Volumes 1 to 6 (Manifesting Medicine, Exposing Electronics, Tackling Transport, Presenting Pictures, Materializing the Military, and Showcasing Space).
