A museum is an institution founded for the purpose of collecting, preserving, researching, displaying and interpreting primary tangible evidence of the past and present of humankind and its environment. Museums differ from libraries in their focus on objects rather than books. Museums are also unique in that they are places where people can come together to experience art, science, culture and history in ways that engage the imagination and encourage learning.
As museums chronicle our shared humanity, they have the power to heal divisions that rage across nations, between political parties and between cultural groups. But if museums want to meet this challenge, they must become more inclusive, more polyphonic and engage with diverse communities.
Achieving this is not easy, particularly in a world that seems increasingly polarised and divided. In this context, it is more important than ever that museums speak out against the use of artifacts to support and promote discrimination and oppressive systems of power. Museums need to work together with their communities to address challenges ranging from how to deal with collections that resulted from colonialism to how to avoid the perception of them as white museums.
In order to address these challenges, museums need a new definition. The current one, adopted in 1967, is out of date and reflects the values and beliefs of the age of imperialism and colonial rule. It is time for a new one, reflecting the values and aspirations of a more open, democratic and diverse society.
The International Council of Museums (Icom) is committed to redefining the museum for this new century. Its new definition includes, for the first time, phrases such as inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability. It was passed at the Icom Extraordinary General Assembly in Prague today, after a process that involved the largest outreach in the organisation’s history, with representatives from more than 500 of Icom’s National Committees and over 50,000 individual members speaking out during four distinct rounds of consultation by Icom Define.
In addition to this historic change, the new definition also outlines principles and guidelines that are intended to guide museums in the future. These include the importance of democratisation, inclusion, diversity and sustainability, as well as the commitment to safeguard the cultural heritage of future generations.
While this definition is a significant step forward, many people believe that the new methodology for establishing the definition needs to be improved. Currently, it is an opaque and closed process, where a small group of Icom leadership makes decisions behind closed doors without consulting National Committees, International Committees, and the Regional Alliances that make up Icom. The next round of consultation is set to begin in 2022. For more information about the process, click here. Kate Quinn is a Master Lecturer in the Museum Studies program at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia and Co-Chair of the Programming Committee for Icom-US. She is the author of a forthcoming book, “Museums in Transition: Museums and their Changing Roles”.