Whether you think of museums as places that preserve art history or bring world culture to the masses, there is no doubt that they are a significant part of our daily lives. They are in our school systems, on college campuses, and even inside sports stadiums. They are featured in movies like Night at the Museum and Ocean’s 8 and on the covers of National Geographic and CBS Sunday Morning.
They are institutions that hold artifacts in trust for society, safeguard diverse memories and histories for future generations and work to contribute to human dignity, social justice, global equality and planetary sustainability. They are participatory and transparent, working in active partnership with diverse communities to collect, conserve, research, communicate and exhibit the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and the natural world.
It’s important to note that museums, in the broadest sense of the word, have a long and complex history. They were born out of what may be an innate human desire to gather and share objects. Initially, museums were primarily private collections that would later become public institutions for the purpose of collecting and sharing items with the general population. While museums have grown in size and scope, they still exist as institutions whose primary responsibility is to acquire, care for, and interpret objects in their collection for the public good.
Over time, as museums began to identify a specific role within society, they grew in complexity and the field of museum studies emerged, along with a body of theory known as museology. During this time, the definition of museum evolved to include the idea that museums are a place that chronicles and depicts the past, serves as a touchstone for the future and inspires dialogue and engagement.
While museums are a major part of the cultural landscape, they also have some major problems. As the famous museum scene in Black Panther illustrates, museums often show pieces with dubious provenance, talk about pieces from non-western cultures through a western lens and sometimes ignore indigenous knowledge of their own artifacts. This has lead to conversations about repatriation and questions over who truly owns heritage.
This week, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) will vote on a new definition of what makes up a museum. The new definition challenges museums to cede their institutional authority to their communities and shift the objective of interpreting collections from transmitting expert knowledge to fostering dialogue and connection. It’s a bold move that could be an effective way to encourage more diversity in the museum world.
The museum community has come a long way in the last century, but there is always room for improvement. We can help to make a difference by being more intentional about our choices when visiting museums. Supporting smaller museums with a local lens, being a more informed traveler by learning about the cultural context of your destination and asking for a full disclosure on the origins of artifacts can all help to improve our experience in museums worldwide.