Art as Peace Education at Dark Museums and Sites in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Southeast Asia

Abstract

Art increasingly appears at dark museums and related formal sites to balance the traditional exhibits of war. This article explores how art might contribute a peace education perceptive in differing countries and a globalizing context. Case studies from the United Kingdom, Europe (West and East), and Southeast Asia (Cambodia and Vietnam) are analyzed. The former deploys new technologies and supports wellknown artists who appeal to art markets. Asian curation relies more on creativity, including childrens and victims art. Both deploy artistic devices to symbolize the scale of atrocities and create aesthetic depth—juxtaposition, prominence, perspective, repetition, patterning, and soundscapes. The analysis provides tools and checklists to assist curation and inform artists, and concludes that critical educational processes are as important as the art.