Day: May 4, 2024

Cultural heritage is the identity and ethos of a society, embodied in its artifacts, places, traditions, and ways of life. It includes the tangible (such as historic buildings, monuments, and works of art), intangible (such as oral histories and storytelling, dances, music, cuisine, crafts, and religious rituals) and the inanimate (such as geological landscapes).

It also extends beyond national borders and even through time. Artists, writers, scientists, and craftsmen from different cultures learn from each other — whether in person or via the Internet — and are inspired by each other’s work, even though they may be separated by geographic and historical distance. For example, Paul Gauguin’s paintings were influenced by Japanese prints and African masks, while some of the homes built by enslaved African-Americans in Liberia were modeled after neoclassical mansions of American plantations.

Intangible cultural heritage is also extremely diverse, and it consists of non-physical characteristics that have been passed down from one generation to the next in a community, such as its beliefs, values, customs, and practices. This can include everything from the tango and flamenco, the Viennese coffee house culture, and the Mediterranean diet to Chinese shadow puppetry, Vedic chanting, and Kabuki theatre. It is the invisible side of cultural heritage, which is often more important than the material aspects that are so readily visible to us.

Many of these intangible cultural heritage characteristics are under threat, whether through neglect and indifference, or as a result of war, conflict, or globalization. For example, a number of indigenous peoples are fighting to regain control of their ancestral lands and cultural properties that have been sold, stolen, or loaned out for commercial purposes. Others are fighting to preserve their traditional languages, religions, and other intangible aspects of their identities from being lost in the digital age.

The didactic use of cultural heritage can be an effective tool for developing a sense of identity and empathy with a common past by prompting students to critically explore their understandings of historical antecedents and interactions with contemporary realities. In addition, it is a way to encourage the development of critical thinking skills that can be applied to any situation.

While the concept of cultural heritage is incredibly complex, it is something that should be celebrated and preserved. However, it is essential to remember that what is considered cultural heritage by one group of people may not be viewed the same by another, and that what is deemed culturally significant can change over time as a result of changing political or social values or due to events such as war, conflict, or terrorism. Ultimately, it is up to individual individuals and groups to decide what they value about their heritage.

Whether a museum is an exhibition space, an archaeological site, a house, an old ship or a church, it must be able to preserve, research, exhibit and communicate. It must be non-profit, open to the public and offer varied experiences for education, reflection, enjoyment and knowledge sharing. It should be a place of diversity and inclusiveness, operating ethically and fostering sustainability. These are the key elements of a new definition, adopted by ICOM in 2019 after a major outreach project that involved over 50,000 members. The Standing Committee for the Museum Definition (also known as MDPP) and ICOM Define consulted widely with national committees, international committees, regional alliances and affiliated organizations around the world.

The new definition, “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development that collects, conserves, researches, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage and provides a place for learning through experience. It is open to the public and is inclusive and sustainable” has been widely endorsed as representing some of the major trends in museums worldwide today. It is, however, not a comprehensive list, and it is not intended to limit the roles of museums or to dictate what a museum should do.

It is important that the definition recognizes the need to preserve and share the past, but it also acknowledges that there are many ways of doing this and that there are vast differences in values, assumptions and conditions that exist in different parts of the world. The definition also identifies the purpose of a museum as being to advance society, but it does not mandate what this should be. It leaves room for divergent theories and the need to balance these at the same time.

Another shift that has been a result of the process of developing this new definition is the role of the visitor and the idea that a museum is a space for community participation. This has meant a move away from an elitist vision of what is a museum. In addition, it has meant a shift in time, moving from the classical notion of preserving the past to a more general interest in social issues.

In the early years of ICOM, the prevailing definition was that a museum is a “not-for-profit institution devoted to collecting and exhibiting artifacts in order to educate and enrich society.” This was later modified to include the preservation of sites, and more recently it has included intangible heritage. The new definition reflects the need for ICOM to have a more inclusive, global and democratic approach in its work. It is a very welcome step forward, but it is only a beginning and the museum profession still has much to do to meet this challenge. The next stage will be to define how a museum can fulfill this new, more expansive role in a way that is practical and achievable for all. This will require a much more collaborative and interdisciplinary process.