p8-9_2011-1a
2
8 ICOMNEWS | N°1 2011 September 2010: Inaugural Conference of the Federation of International Human Rights Museums, www.fihrm.org M useums are, by their nature, socially responsible institutions. Even in performing their most basic tasks of assembling, researching and caring for collections, they can benefit society. Of course, in making these collections available to the public through exhibitions and publications, the public benefit is taken a stage further – museums educate, or at least aim to. So although the term ‘social responsibility’ is relatively new in the museum context, exercising social responsibility is what museums have essen- tially been doing for many years. It would seem, however, that the current generation of museum workers is pushing the boundaries of social responsibility. The kind of work some museums undertake today is very different to museums’ previous missions. There is a number of ways in which this shift can be interpreted. First, museums today work very hard to understand their audiences. They are no longer content to throw open their doors and hope someone pays them a visit. They research their audiences and try to understand what inter- ests and motivates them. They even identify those who tend not to use museums and work to attract them, based on the principle that everyone in society should benefit from museums, not just a few. By so doing, museums become more democratic, less elitist; more open, less insular; more relevant, less peripheral. Second, and much more challenging to the status quo, museums are increasingly involved in contemporary social issues. They are changing from institutions that were preoccupied with the past, and obsessed with collections, into institutions where the public can find opinions about the present day, and where human stories predominate. Embracing diversity This changing role is altering the relationship between museums and the public. It is fun- damental to the future of museums but it is not to everyone’s taste within the museum world. The debate continues about the sup- posed responsibility of museums to be ‘neu- tral’, even though many younger museum workers are starting to think differently. Con- servative views about museums linger on, captured in our ethical codes and our self- penned definitions, but our profession is moving forward constantly. This may explain the adoption of the Torreon Declaration by the annual meeting of INTERCOM, ICOM’s International Committee for Museum Management, in Mexico in 2009, which called upon museums to reject the notion of neu trality, and demanded that museums be positive forces for change and progress in the field of human rights. It is also in this context that a new inter- national museum body, The Federation of International Human Rights Museums (FIHRM) was founded in 2010. At its inaugural meeting in Liverpool, FIHRM members considered that museums no longer look purely to collections for inspira- tion when relating histories – they now look much more to people, and to people’s stories, and to ideas. The Federation considers that museums have become more emotive, which means that they are better able to communicate ideas. It also believes that museums are no longer monocultural institutions that concen- trate on the histories of dominant social groups, of the privileged, but rather institu- tions that embrace the histories of minority or oppressed groups, alienated due to their class, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. In other words, museums have begun to embrace the notion of ‘cultural diversity’. These views may be seen by museum traditionalists as heretical, but by others as a breath of fresh air. FIHRM counts some of the world’s great museum organisations as members, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation, as well as National Museums Liverpool. In its unwavering commitment to the museums for human rights campaign, FIHRM has set a new challenge for the museum profession as a whole. How serious are museums about acting in a socially responsibl e manner? It remains to be seen whether museums will merely pay lip service to the notion, or if they are prepared to reinvent the museum, thus helping to create a socially harmonious world. n Museums and social responsibility By being socially responsible institutions, museums can promote greater inclusion and social harmony by David Fleming, Director, National Museums Liverpool C an we speak of social harmony from the perspective of ethnographic museums, even though this topic has been grappled with since the emergence of museum collections documenting cultural expression? Ethnographic collections were part and parcel of the forbearers of modern museums – the prestigious cabinets of curiosity. With the expansion of what was thought to be the modern world, the recog- nition and collection of material evidence of mankind worldwide was one of the key items of many of these collections. They later became the foundation stones of many national ethnographic museums throughout Europe. But was the essence of these collec- tions social harmony or was their goal to illustrate the superiority of the west? Towards the close of the 20 th century new shifts in population changed the face of the world. Collecting both tangible and intangible cultural heritage from new neighbours also served a purpose not far from that of the earlier explorers who brought home souvenirs to their patrons. Several approaches are being taken to move from the model of superiority to a model of cultural reconciliation. Museum ethnogra- phers are striving to raise awareness while showing cultural differences and similarities, continuity and change, and accommodation. The plasticity of culture is reflected in today’s ethnographic museums. New audiences are being engaged and drawn into museums. Challenging exhibitions The Roma, an ancient displaced people who trace their origins to India, have lived for eons on the European continent. Recent political issues have once again placed worldwide focus on this highly discriminated, persecut- ed and marginalised ethnic community. The Council of Europe initiated the Route of Roma Culture and Heritage Project , a multinational project including institutions in France, Ger- many, Greece, Romania, Spain, the UK and Slovenia, with the goal “to deconstruct ide- ologies and practices of exclusion […] , to increase the knowledge [of] Roma history, culture, values and lifestyle, to encourage the contribution of Roma to Europe’s cultural life and diversity, and ult imately, to contribute […] a positive value to the ima ge of Roma.” The Slovene Ethnographic Museum, together with Roma and non-Roma NGOs, held the first Roma Culture Festival in Slovenia, Romano Chon/Romski mesec in April 2009. April because 8 April is International Roma Day and spring is the metaphor for openness and optimism. Aspects of Roma culture(s ) presen ted in the museum context included photo exhibi- tions, concerts of traditional and new-wave music including Gypsy Swing, Hip-hop and Rap, dance, workshops, films, lectures, debates, and theatre and puppet shows. For a few days, these centres of celebration of Roma culture and its richness provided dialogue among Slovene and Roma alike. The challenge was to place the spotlight on the heritage of a cultural group generally reviled in Europe. Roma were included in the programme’s planning and popular culture currently emerging from the community in response to contemporary influences was presented. Challenginglocations Ethnographic collections have long been housed in museums of natural history. This approach emphasised the connec- tion between non-Western cultures and nature. But what about the relationship between museum edifices and nature? Is this a challenge or does it reflect harmony? For instance, museums such as the Louisi- ana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; the Storm King Art Center in New York state; and the Kröller Müller Museum near Otterlo, Neth- erlands are purposely located far from pop- ulation centres. Perhaps their seclusion with no known connection to their surroundin gs is what Alex de Voogt, assistant curator at the American Museum of Natural Histo ry, calls “a combination of nature, art and architecture.” During ICOM’s General Conference in 2010 in Shanghai, ICOM’s International Committee for Museums and Coll ections of Ethnography heard almost 30 presentations that discussed the challenges that museums, ethno- graphic and otherwise, are addressing as a means to stimulate their audiences. The speakers hoped to prompt their colleagues to reflect on the 21 st century relevance of their collections. The question remains as to whether rich historic and contemporary cultural expressions should be used to celebrate similarities between humankind or to provoke thought on difference in the face of coexistence. n The challenge of coexistence The contribution of museum ethnographers to the social harmony debate by Annette Fromm, Coordinator Museum Studies, Florida International University IN FOCUS MUSEUMS FOR SOCIAL HARMONY The plasticity of culture is reflected in today’s ethnographic museums © N A T I O N A L M U S E U M S L I V E R P O O L The sculpture garden and view at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark Author’s note: I wish to thank Ralf Mencin Čeplak, Slovene Ethnographic Museum, and Alex de Voogt, American Museum of Natural History , for their contribution to this article. © A L E X D E V O O G T N°1 2011 | ICOMNEWS 9 ICOMnews64-1ENGfeb22.indd 8-9 2/22/11 1:34PM
-
Upload
kristjon06 -
Category
Documents
-
view
216 -
download
0
Transcript of p8-9_2011-1a
8/12/2019 p8-9_2011-1a
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/p8-92011-1a 1/1
8 ICOM NEWS | N°1 2011
September 2010: Inaugural Conference of the Federation of InternationalHuman Rights Museums, www.fihrm.org
M useums are, by their nature,socially responsible institutions.Even in performing their most
basic tasks of assembling, researchingand caring for collections, they can benefitsociety. Of course, in making thesecollections available to the public throughexhibitions and publications, the publicbenefit is taken a stage further – museumseducate, or at least aim to. So although theterm ‘social responsibility’ is relatively newin the museum context, exercising socialresponsibility is what museums have essen-tially been doing for many years.
It would seem, however, that the currentgeneration of museum workers is pushingthe boundaries of social responsibility. Thekind of work some museums undertaketoday is very different to museums’ previousmissions. There is a number of ways in whichthis shift can be interpreted. First, museumstoday work very hard to understand theiraudiences. They are no longer content tothrow open their doors and hope someonepays them a visit. They research theiraudiences and try to understand what inter-ests and motivates them. They even identify
those who tend not to use museums andwork to attract them, based on the principlethat everyone in society should benefitfrom museums, not just a few. By so doing,museums become more democratic, lesselitist; more open, less insular; more relevant,less peripheral.
Second, and much more challenging tothe status quo, museums are increasinglyinvolved in contemporary social issues.They are changing from institutions that werepreoccupied with the past, and obsessedwith collections, into institutions where thepublic can find opinions about the present
day, and where human stories predominate.
Embracing diversityThis changing role is altering the relationshipbetween museums and the public. It is fun-damental to the future of museums but it isnot to everyone’s taste within the museumworld. The debate continues about the sup-posed responsibility of museums to be ‘neu-tral’, even though many younger museumworkers are starting to think differently. Con-servative views about museums linger on,captured in our ethical codes and our self-
penned definitions, but our profession ismoving forward constantly.
This may explain the adoption of theTorreon Declaration by the annual meetingof INTERCOM, ICOM’s InternationalCommittee for Museum Management,in Mexico in 2009, which called uponmuseums to reject the notion of neu trality,and demanded that museums be positive
forces for change and progress in the fieldof human rights.It is also in this context that a new inter-
national museum body, The Federationof International Human Rights Museums(FIHRM) was founded in 2010. At itsinaugural meeting in Liverpool, FIHRMmembers considered that museums nolonger look purely to collections for inspira-tion when relating histories – they now lookmuch more to people, and to people’sstories, and to ideas.
The Federation considers that museumshave become more emotive, which meansthat they are better able to communicateideas. It also believes that museums are nolonger monocultural institutions that concen-trate on the histories of dominant social
groups, of the privileged, but rather institu-tions that embrace the histories of minorityor oppressed groups, alienated due to theirclass, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. In otherwords, museums have begun to embracethe notion of ‘cultural diversity’.
These views may be seen by museumtraditionalists as heretical, but by others asa breath of fresh air. FIHRM counts some ofthe world’s great museum organisations asmembers, including the Museum of NewZealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the CanadianMuseum for Human Rights, the NationalMuseum of African American History andCulture, the South African Holocaust andGenocide Foundation, as well as NationalMuseums Liverpool.
In its unwavering commitment to themuseums for human rights campaign,FIHRM has set a new challenge for themuseum profession as a whole. How seriousare museums about acting in a sociallyresponsible manner? It remains to be seenwhether museums will merely pay lip serviceto the notion, or if they are prepared toreinvent the museum, thus helping to createa socially harmonious world. n
Museums and socialresponsibility
By being socially responsible institutions, museums canpromote greater inclusion and social harmony
by David Fleming, Director, National Museums Liverpool
Can we speak of social harmony fromthe perspective of ethnographic
museums, even though this topichas been grappled with since the emergenceof museum collections documenting culturalexpression? Ethnographic collections werepart and parcel of the forbearers of modernmuseums – the prestigious cabinets ofcuriosity. With the expansion of what wasthought to be the modern world, the recog-nition and collection of material evidenceof mankind worldwide was one of the keyitems of many of these collections. Theylater became the foundation stones of manynational ethnographic museums throughoutEurope. But was the essence of these collec-tions social harmony or was their goal toillustrate the superiority of the west?
Towards the close of the 20 th century newshifts in population changed the face of theworld. Collecting both tangible and intangiblecultural heritage from new neighbours alsoserved a purpose not far from that of theearlier explorers who brought home souvenirsto their patrons.
Several approaches are being taken tomove from the model of superiority to a modelof cultural reconciliation. Museum ethnogra-phers are striving to raise awareness while
showing cultural differences and similarities,continuity and change, and accommodation.The plasticity of culture is reflected in today’sethnographic museums. New audiences arebeing engaged and drawn into museums.
Challenging exhibitionsThe Roma, an ancient displaced people whotrace their origins to India, have lived for eonson the European continent. Recent politicalissues have once again placed worldwidefocus on this highly discriminated, persecut-ed and marginalised ethnic community. TheCouncil of Europe initiated the Route of RomaCulture and Heritage Project , a multinationalproject including institutions in France, Ger-many, Greece, Romania, Spain, the UK andSlovenia, with the goal “to deconstruct ide-
ologies and practices of exclusion […], toincrease the knowledge [of] Roma history,culture, values and lifestyle, to encourage thecontribution of Roma to Europe’s cultural lifeand diversity, and ult imately, to contribute […]a positive value to the ima ge of Roma.”
The Slovene Ethnographic Museum,together with Roma andnon-Roma NGOs, held thefirst Roma Culture Festivalin Slovenia, RomanoChon/Romski mesec in
April 2009. April because8 April is International Roma Day and springis the metaphor for openness and optimism.
Aspects of Roma culture(s) presented inthe museum context included photo exhibi-tions, concerts of traditional and new-wavemusic including Gypsy Swing, Hip-hop andRap, dance, workshops, films, lectures,debates, and theatre and puppet shows.For a few days, these centres of celebrationof Roma culture and its richness provideddialogue among Slovene and Roma alike.The challenge was to place the spotlight onthe heritage of a cultural group generallyreviled in Europe. Roma were included in the
programme’s planning and popular culturecurrently emerging from the community inresponse to contemporary influences waspresented.
Challenging locationsEthnographic collections have long beenhoused in museums of natural history.This approach emphasised the connec-tion between non-Western cultures andnature. But what about the relationshipbetween museum edifices and nature? Isthis a challenge or does it reflect harmony?For instance, museums such as the Louisi-ana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; theStorm King Art Center in New York state; andthe Kröller Müller Museum near Otterlo, Neth-erlands are purposely located far from pop-
ulation centres. Perhaps their seclusion withno known connection to their surroundin gs iswhat Alex de Voogt, assistant curator at the
American Museum of Natural History, calls “acombination of nature, art and architecture.”
During ICOM’s General Conferencein 2010 in Shanghai, ICOM’s International
Committee for Museumsa n d C o l l ec t ions o fEthnography heard almost30 presentations thatdiscussed the challengesthat museums, ethno-
graphic and otherwise, are addressing asa means to stimulate their audiences. Thespeakers hoped to prompt their colleaguesto reflect on the 21 st century relevance oftheir collections. The question remains asto whether rich historic and contemporarycultural expressions should be used tocelebrate similarities between humankind orto provoke thought on difference in the face ofcoexistence. n
The challenge of coexistenceThe contribution of museum ethnographers
to the social harmony debateby Annette Fromm, Coordinator Museum Studies, Florida International University
IN FOCUS MUSEUMS FOR SOCIAL HARMONY
The plasticity of culture is reflected in today’s
ethnographic museums
© N
A T I O N A L M U S E U M S L I V E R P O O L
The sculpture garden and viewat the Louisiana Museum ofModern Art, Denmark
Author’s note: I wish to thank Ralf Mencin Čeplak,Slovene Ethnographic Museum, and Alex de Voogt, American Museum of Natural History, for theircontribution to this article.
© A
L E X D E V O O G T
N°1 2011 | ICOM NEWS
ICOMnews64-1 ENG feb22.indd 8-9 2/22/11 1:34 PM
