The New Definition of a MuseumThe New Definition of a Museum
A museum is an institution established in service of society and open to the public, that collects, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage for the purposes of education, study, enjoyment and reflection. Museums operate and communicate ethically, professionally and in partnership with communities.
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has begun a process to adopt a new definition for museums. Thousands of museum professionals from 126 ICOM National Committees were consulted for this monumental project, which is the largest outreach effort in the history of the organisation.
In addition to a desire to be more inclusive, the new definition aims to change how museums interpret their collections. As museums increasingly work with diverse communities, this interpretation must be based on collaboration rather than imposing one disciplinary lens over all others. This means that museums need to take a stance on issues such as the skewed representation of non-western art and culture and the way that some objects were collected under conditions of power and colonization.
Traditionally, museums have used their collections to educate people about the past, but the changing nature of museum audiences means that they are now also expected to provide opportunities for learning about the present and the future. This could include everything from demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve documents to helping visitors explore the effects of climate change on their local environment.
While these are important educational roles, they must also be seen in the context of their role as social spaces that promote dialogue and connection. As such, museums are becoming places where a wide range of activities can happen including exhibitions, workshops, lectures and performances. They can even serve as places of sanctuary for those in need of mental and emotional support.
Museums can also play a key economic role, providing jobs in the sector and supporting local economies through their visitor numbers. For example, the Guggenheim Bilbao was built with the aim of revitalizing a depressed city and was funded by public funds.
Lastly, museums can contribute to the protection of world cultural heritage through their work on illicit trafficking and promoting risk management and emergency preparedness in the event of natural or man-made disasters. The new definition aims to encourage all these aspects of the museum’s activity by describing them as part of the museum’s mission.
While the definition may seem simple, it is challenging for museums to actually implement it. Museums are often founded on a particular ethos and values that are hard to shake, for example the desire to acquire the ‘best’ art, or a belief in the value of high-culture mores and social codes. Museums also replicate the societies in which they were founded in ways both deliberate and unintentional.
Museums are a great resource for learning about the past, but they can also teach us a lot about how to navigate the challenges of our own time. The future of learning may well be self-directed and passion-based, and museums are in a unique position to help people find their own niche in this world.