Museums are sanctuaries of knowledge, history and art – places that encourage you to slow down, look closely and take in a whole new perspective. They chronicle our past, depict our present and act as touchstones for the future. They are designed to help us explore and understand the complex and diverse cultures of our world. And while it’s easy to dismiss museums as boring, a day spent in their hallowed halls is something everyone should experience at least once.
While the term “museum” has classical roots (the Greek word, mouseion, means seat of the Muses), it was revived in the 16th century to describe collections of objects – usually art and antiquities – displayed in spaces referred to as galleries. As the scholarly, cultural and educational institutions they remain today, museums play a vital role in society. They are places where people can learn and gain a better understanding of our past, but they also serve as a bridge between cultures, where people from around the world come together to share experiences and perspectives.
A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage and cultural experiences for public benefit. Museums are open to the public, provide education, entertainment and reflection, and operate and communicate ethically, responsibly and with diversity and sustainability in mind.
The best museums in the world are a delight to visit, whether you’re in search of masterpieces by artists like Monet or artifacts that showcase a region’s culture and history. They are often grand buildings in their own right and have a reputation for excellence. Some of the most famous include the Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa and other icons; the Metropolitan Museum in New York; the National Gallery of Modern Art in London; and the Musée Rodin in Paris, where visitors can wander the grounds that inspired the legendary sculptor to create iconic pieces like The Gates of Hell and The Thinker.
Museums can be founded for a wide range of purposes: to serve as recreational facilities or scholarly venues; to promote a sense of civic pride or nationalistic endeavour; or even to transmit overtly ideological concepts. Despite their vast differences in form, content and function, all museums are bound by a common goal: to preserve and interpret some material aspect of humanity’s cultural consciousness.
In response to the need for greater transparency and consultation, the Standing Committee of ICOM Define has developed a new methodology for this process. The new approach is based on four rounds of consultation and aims to arrive at the next ICOM General Conference in 2022 with a definition proposal that will be put to a vote.
To learn more about the methodology used, read the full report here. We would like to thank all those who participated in this process and who gave their support to this effort. We are grateful for your contributions and hope that the resulting text will be an invaluable resource for museums worldwide.