Museums come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they all have in common is that they’re places where artifacts and other objects are kept for public viewing. The word itself comes from Greek (museums) and Latin (mouseion), and it’s used to describe a collection of natural or manufactured artifacts. Museums are often thought of as being big buildings that hold lots of art or historical objects, and they’re generally seen as institutions where cultures can come to learn about other civilizations.
But that view isn’t necessarily the whole picture, and it may actually be a dangerous one. For some people, museums are where cultural values die, a place where they’re drained of their vitality by an educational mission that’s meant to improve the audience’s experience. For others, museums are the place where works of art can truly come into their own, free of the distractions that might be present in the home of a private collector.
Both views have their place, but neither can be right all of the time. That’s why it’s important for museum professionals to be aware of how their institution is perceived, and to be able to talk about the purpose of their organization in terms that can be understood by all stakeholders. Earlier this year the International Council of Museums released a new definition for museum that challenges museums to be more inclusive, ethical, and collaborative.
This new definition of museum was created through a democratic process that included consultation with the national committees, international committees, regional alliances and affiliated organizations of ICOM. In the first phase of this process, committees ranked five definition proposals and were given the opportunity to provide comments.
The final definition, which was adopted at the ICOM Extraordinary General Assembly in Prague on May 24, defines a museum as an institution “dedicated to acquiring, caring for, preserving and exhibiting, for the benefit of the public, the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment.”
What’s good about this new definition is that it puts less emphasis on what objects are being collected and more on how they’re being displayed and shared with the public. It also focuses on how museums operate and communicate, which should help them to be more transparent and accountable to the communities they serve.
However, this new definition isn’t without its problems. For example, a big issue is that museums are still prone to displaying objects with questionable histories. They tend to look at objects from non-western cultures through a western lens, and they frequently take artifacts from indigenous peoples without permission.
This is an area where the new definition falls short, and it may be hard for some museum professionals to accept that the old ways aren’t working any more. That said, there are a growing number of alternative models that are showing what a museum can be, and how it can reach more diverse audiences. This includes pop up museums that can be much more flexible in meeting their audiences, and they’re proving that an institution doesn’t need to be permanent to make a huge impact.