ICOM News Vol.67 n.4 December 2014

THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS MAGAZINE

VOL 67 NO 4

DECEMBER 2014

news

ICOM SPECIAL REPORT The visitor experience HERITAGE IN DANGER Syria BEST PRACTICES Visitor research

The International Council of Museums will hold its next triennial General Conference in Milan, Italy—the land of museums and culture—in July 2016. We have a year and a half to prepare for this key gathering of professionals on the theme of Museums and cultural landscapes. Our International and National Committees and Regional Alliances can use this theme as a focal point for discussions on the future of our museums in an increasingly competitive environment and an ever-diversifying landscape.

visitors in a more detailed understanding of the works surrounding them.

Museum News

Events, openings and more

This issue’s In Focus section introduces the 2015 theme of International Museum Day, Museums for a sustainable society, with articles

by Marlen Mouliou and by Eric Dorfman and Maria Isabel Landim, describing the important role museums can play in ensuring social and environmental sustainability within their communities and beyond.

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The year 2015 will give rise to many new museum-related questions, and a new draft Recommendation on the Protection and Promotion of Museums, their Diversity and their Role in Society2 will be proposed by UNESCO in May. It promises to be another year rich with discussions and commitments from our international community of museums.

Museums for a sustainable society

We wish you all much success and While museums have always been attentive happiness for 2015 and look forward to their visitors, innovative approaches to your continued support and fruitful are now being developed across the world compatible with a new vision of the museum’s collaboration in the New Year. social role. Defining the place of museums Prof. Dr Hans Martin Hinz in their cities, territories and communities ICOM President is a question that concerns us all and many projects are emerging to make museums Prof. Dr Anne-Catherine Robert-Hauglustaine more inclusive. Our Special Report opens ICOM Director General with an analysis by Nick O’Flaherty of what visitors really want, while in our Original French: «Le culte des muses auquel se vouait le museum antique n’est sans doute qu’une première version Best Practices section, the Dallas Art de ce que nous nommons aujourd’hui : la culture.»

Museum gives examples of how to engage Title as suggested by ICOM 1

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Best Practices

Knowing your audience

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In Focus

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Special Report:

The visitor experience What visitors want Reaching the modern visitor New experiences, new practices Experimental design

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The cult of the muses to which the ancient museum dedicated itself was no doubt a preliminary version of what we call culture today.’1 With these words, André Chastel introduced his article, L’Italie, musée des musées (Italy, the museum of museums), published in 2012.

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EDITORIAL

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ICOM Community ICOM Committee meetings: the year in review

ICOM PRESIDENT Hans-Martin Hinz DIRECTOR GENERAL Anne-Catherine Robert-Hauglustaine

ICOM News is a magazine published by the International Council of Museums in English, French and Spanish, with the financial assistance of the French Ministry of Culture. Opinions expressed in signed articles do not commit ICOM in any way and are the responsibility of their authors.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Aedín Mac Devitt COPY EDITOR Ena Lupine

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Publications Memories of tomorrow

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Agnès Quemper TRANSLATION Kristina Jackson CONTRIBUTORS Mayte Bernabeu Sara Heft ADVERTISING France Édition PRINTING GraphiProd, 93290 Tremblay en France

Heritage in Danger

Archaeological looting in Syria

©ICOM ISSN 1020-6418 COVER IMAGE © BOCA MUSEUM OF ART/GESI SHILLING

Next issue In Focus: Museums for a sustainable society Special Report: Human rights museums Best Practices: Augmented reality

ICOM Maison de l’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 France Tel +33 1 47 34 05 00 Fax + 33 1 43 06 78 62 secretariat@icom.museum http://icom.museum

If you wish to contribute to the next issue of ICOM News, please contact Aedín Mac Devitt at aedin.macdevitt@icom.museum for details.

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Museums on the big screen

F

rederick Wiseman is an American film-maker who has made his mark on cinematography through documentaries depicting the inner workings of a wide variety of institutions.

Many of his films focus on cultural institutions, such as La ComédieFrançaise ou l’Amour joué, Ballet (American Ballet Theater), La Danse –The Paris Opera Ballet and At Berkeley. In his most recent film, National Gallery, he observes the day-to-day work of the staff of the National Gallery in London, UK, bringing to light the work of its curators, conservator-restorers, docents, educators, administrators and more.

What attracted you to the National Gallery?

The National Gallery is one of the world’s great museums. At the same time, it is relatively small and its collections only include paintings, which allowed me to concentrate on the museum’s exhibition, restoration, scientific and educational work related to painting. This way, I did not have to treat superficially or leave out collections of other art forms that are available in larger museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre or the Prado. The museum was small enough that I felt I could cover all aspects of both public and behind-the-scenes activities.

How have museums inspired your work?

Paintings that I have seen in museums have influenced my work in the choice of subject matter and in the study of light. Some of the themes of paintings I have admired have also become themes of my films.

Painters, novelists, playwrights, poets and film-makers have the same general issues to deal with—abstraction, metaphor, storytelling, the relation between the literal and the abstract, passage of time, rhythm and transitions. It is very useful for me to see and try to understand how people working in different times and in other forms deal with these common issues.

For more information about National Gallery and Frederick Wiseman’s other films: http://www.zipporah.com/ Interview by Ena Lupine

In 2015, the Hong Kong edition of the international modern and contemporary art show, Art Basel, will take place on 15-17 March. According to the show’s website, half of the participating galleries in the upcoming edition will come from Asia and AsiaPacific. The new show provides galleries from the region (and around the world) with a platform to demonstrate how they collaborate with artists. Art Basel in Hong Kong will trace 12 decades of art history across six sectors: Galleries, Insights, Discoveries, Encounters, Magazines and Film. Founded by gallerists in 1970, Art Basel is held each year in Hong Kong, Basel (Switzerland) and Miami (US).

The Fondation Louis Vuitton, a new contemporary art institution in Paris, France, opened its doors to the public on 27 October, 2014.

The 11,700 m2 building (pictured below), designed by architect Frank Gehry, houses 11 galleries, an auditorium that seats 350 and terraces offering unique panoramic views of Paris and the Bois de Boulogne. The museum’s opening programme includes an exhibition showcasing the design process of the building, presented in parallel with the first European retrospective of Gehry’s work exhibited by the Centre Pompidou (Paris) from October 2014.

© IWAN BAAN 2014

The film focuses quite a bit on conservation-restoration...

The importance, and the technical and artistic skills of the people that work in conservation-restoration are not generally known, understood or appreciated by the general public. They are great professionals whose skill and craft are humbly at the service of others. There is little recognition of the trust that is granted them to actively preserve our common cultural heritage.

The film portrays the museum as a community centre that engages with audiences of all ages and walks of life. Is this how you see museums’ role in society?

I am not an expert on this issue. I certainly think that great works of art should be accessible and that people from whatever class, age or background should have an opportunity to increase their knowledge and understanding. All methods available should be used to make people aware of the emotional and intellectual importance of great art.

Events The Musée et Alzheimer (Museums and Alzheimer’s) colloquium was held at the Cité de la musique in Paris, France, on 21 November, 2014. Organised by the Fondation Swiss Life and the Fondation Réunica Prévoyance, the event brought together cultural and health professionals to discuss how best

As part of its World War I centenary programme, the Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand is preparing a new exhibition by renowned New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai.

Set to open in April 2015, Pare Kawakawa by Parekowhai will explore the impact of war on both an individual and universal level. Pare kawakawa are head wreaths made of greenery that are worn during tangihanga (Māori funeral rites).

According to the museum, the exhibition will feature new art works by Parekowhai, as well as a series of his photographs called The consolation of philosophy (2001), with each one named after a different WWI battleground where New Zealand soldiers fought and lost

their lives. Following a season at Auckland Museum, Pare Kawakawa by Parekowhai will tour internationally, evolving throughout the centenary.

Projects

The Castle Museum in Weimar, Germany, hosted an educational project in autumn 2013, organised by Klassik Stiftung Weimar and Stiftung Zuhören, inviting students aged 13-15 to create a ‘young’ audioguide for the museum’s exhibits.

By conveying what they found interesting, the students (pictured left) developed a strong personal approach to discussing objects from the museum’s collection and their meaning in the modern context. Through workshops given by two museum educators and a radio journalist, the students learned about early 19th century history, creative writing strategies and technical possibilities to help them create their audio tracks.

The audios were transferred to the museum’s existing audioguides and are now available to all visitors.

Awards Produced by the MAPI (Pre-Columbian and Indigenous Art Museum) in Montevideo, Uruguay, Leticia Feippe’s play, Tukano y el libro de todas las historias (Tukano and the book of all stories), has been nominated for the Florencio Award, which is granted by the

Theatre Critics Association of Uruguay. The play was nominated in the categories of Best play for children aged 8 years and over, Director (Marinella Morena) and Sound setting (Susana Bosch, Gustavo Ripa and Fernando Yañez). Tukano is an indigenous boy who learns about different aspects of Andean culture in order to become a shaman. Created by the MAPI in 2011 as part of a videogame, the play has already received the IberoAmerican Museums Award.

People The Yale Center for British Art has announced the promotion of 10 of its employees in the areas of acquisitions, exhibitions, research, education, museum management and administration. Scott Wilcox (pictured right), formerly Chief Curator of Art Collections and Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings, has taken the role of Deputy

©RICHARD CASPOLE

to carry out programmes geared towards Alzheimer’s patients.

International speakers gave presentations varying from the specifics of the disease and the benefit patients gain from cultural outings to case studies of Alzheimer’s programmes at museums in France, Canada, the US and Norway. Audience discussion centred on the importance of continuing to develop these types of programmes around the world.

Openings In November, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, unveiled the new presentation of its permanent collection to the public. The new design focuses on the artist’s story, with his personal life and art elucidated through drawings and letters that have rarely been shown to date, while providing more space for his masterpieces.

According to the museum, this presentation aims to clarify some of the myths surrounding Vincent Van Gogh, such as his illness, the ear and his suicide, and to shed light on the ideas and ambitions behind his art. The new display is the work of Dutch exhibition designer Marcel Schmalgemeijer and graphic designer Mariëlle Tolenaar.

©ROBERT SCHWABE

© JOHN EWING

MUSEUM NEWS

Director for Collections. In addition, Matthew Hargraves was promoted to Chief Curator of Art Collections, Elisabeth Fairman to Chief Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Gillian Forrester to Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings, Tim Goodhue to Chief Registrar, Rick Johnson to Chief of Installation, Linda Friedlaender to Senior Curator of Education, Lisa Ford to Assistant Director of Research, Richard Caspole to Senior Photographer, and Lyn Bell Rose to Head of Design. n Compiled by Ena Lupine

HaIda L I F E . S P I RI T. A RT.

TR AV E LLI N G E XH I B ITI O N A U N I Q U E A N D I M M E R S I V E WAY TO E X P E R I E N C E H A I DA C U LT U R E A travelling exhibition produced by the Canadian Museum of History and the McCord Museum, in partnership with the Haida Gwaii Museum RESERVE TODAY!

1-819-776-8522 | travelling@historymuseum.ca histor ymuseum.ca

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BEST PRACTICES VISITOR RESEARCH

Knowing your audience The Dallas Museum of Art uses visitor research to strengthen relationships with audiences and deepen visitors’ engagement with art

by Nicole Stutzman Forbes, Chair of Learning Initiatives and Director of Education at the Dallas Museum of Art

The research explored these understandings through a core set of 10 statements developed by DMA staff and the research firm, which were used throughout multiple phases of the study in interviews and surveys. The first phase of the FEA study included over 1,000 interviews with adult visitors, who were asked to respond to statements such as ‘I like to know about the materials and techniques used by the artist’ and ‘Art affects me emotionally’ by rating them on a scale from 1 (does not describe me) to 7 (describes me well).

The key FEA research objectives were to describe museum visiting behaviour and determine whether characteristics and experiences—emerging from the core 10 statements and selected interview questions—could be organised into audience clusters. Analysis resulted in four defined clusters—Observers, Participants, Independents, and Enthusiasts—which place of art in the lives of people locally and remained consistent across subsequent research phases. globally.’

While the Framework for Engaging with From 2003 to 2009, the DMA conducted research in collaboration with research Art became a shared concept and vocabspecialists Randi Korn ulary across diverse & Associates, Inc. on museum departments, A focus on repeat visitor preferences including marketing, participation is a step for experiencing art. exhibitions, curatoThis Framework for towards a more meaningful rial, and education, the Engaging with Art (FEA) impact of this research measure of impact was among the first of was greatest on the such comprehensive studies performed DMA’s Education Division. With objectives

by US art museums. Probing beyond tradi- and implementation ideas developed for tional demographic studies, FEA research each audience cluster, DMA educators explored two significant strands of visitor worked to diversify the educational and experience: visitors’ level of comfort with interpretive experiences offered to the public. art and visitors’ preferences for experi- One example is Late Nights—the museum’s signature monthly event series when the encing art. ©COURTESY OF THE DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART

One of the first DMA Friends members signs up on launch day 2013

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he Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is committed to knowing its museum visitors better and deepening their connection with the art displayed in its collections and special exhibitions. For over 10 years, the DMA has conducted research using diverse evaluative tools that support the staff in their efforts to better understand the preferences, actions and curiosities of its audiences. Through this increased knowledge, museums gain valuable insight for nurturing relationships between people, art, and museums. This knowledge also leads to increased mission impact in the communities we serve. In Dallas, this means doing the necessary work to live up to a key statement in the DMA’s mission: ‘The Dallas Museum of Art is […] a trusted advocate for the essential 6 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014

galleries stay open until midnight—a new programme born from the DMA’s centennial anniversary in 2003. The thousands of visitors attending each Late Night choose from a menu of 20 diverse, FEA-informed programmes designed to increase the potential for relevant and engaging visitor experiences.

DMA Friends In early 2013, the DMA launched a new initiative to increase its understanding of individual participation in the museum, called DMA Friends. This programme is the first free museum membership programme in the US. On-site visitors are invited to sign up for the Friends programme, which runs on a flexible digital platform. Once signed up, DMA Friends members elect to tell the museum when they visit and what they do during their visit by checking in via kiosk or text message to gallery spaces and education programmes using codes. Since launching the programme two years ago, over 85,000 visitors have registered to be DMA Friends, with 95.4% identifying themselves as new members of the museum.

As a digital engagement platform, DMA Friends is a tool that values and creates incentives for visitor participation with art and the museum. It is also a tool

for visitor research, providing staff with high-volume, individualised quantitative data that enhances our understanding of visitors and their participation patterns; whether sparse or concentrated, repetitive or diverse. Staff can be aware of individual visitor behaviour, but can also group visitors into ‘communities’ of interest, such as families, creative types, etc. DMA staff use Friends data to customise communications and to monitor the relative success of the educational programmes and experiences that emerged from the museum’s continued visitor research. They are also exploring how insights from this data can inform decision-making regarding effective techniques and programmes for creating deeper engagement.

The DMA’s interest in visitor participation focuses largely on repeat participation, stemming from the belief that increased participation will lead to deeper engagement and a potentially transformative impact. For many years, the standard measure for any museum’s impact has been overall attendance, or total participation. A focus on repeat participation is a step towards a more meaningful measure of impact because it further fleshes out the story of visits and visitors, working to

capture the nuances of engagement. After nearly two years of running the Friends programme, repeat participation among Friends members is approximately 11.8%, with their participation ranging from two to well over 100 distinct museum visits. As the DMA continues to study visitor participation and engagement, staff recognise a need to pair continuous, effective methods for collecting qualitative data with the quantitative information captured via the Friends programme. The museum is currently exploring how to reconcile these two sources.

The DMA also monitors audience demographics via a real-time mapping tool that can represent the number of Friends in each zip code in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, alongside population statistics for each zip code and 2010 Census information. While the map affirms assumptions about zip codes where the DMA has a large concentration of Friends, it also signals potential and opportunity in communities where few to no DMA Friends live. Staff have begun an investigation of two specific underserved zip codes within close proximity to the museum. It is our goal in the coming year to explore and strengthen any existing museum-community relationships in these areas and to create new ones. n

Visitor research across the ICOM network Two of ICOM’s regional bodies have carried out significant studies in order to better understand museum audiences in their respective regions.

The Commonwealth Association of Museums (CAM), an Affiliated Organisation of ICOM, has collaborated with the Galt Museum and Archives and the Musée Héritage Museum in Alberta, Canada to conduct a study on Participatory Governance and Museums. The concept of participatory governance—engagement that enables citizens to be involved in policy deliberation, formation and oversight that may result in the implementation of public policies that affect their lives—may be more familiar to museum workers than the actual practice. Therefore, as part of this study, CAM developed and administered a survey to develop an understanding of how museums are engaging with communities, in particular how they are using their collections, exhibi-

tions, programmes and expertise to address government policy issues.

Some 121 participants from 38 countries throughout the world responded to the questionnaire. The survey was circulated through CAM social media and membership, the ICOM network, national museums associations, etc. The survey does not claim to be representative but was helpful in pointing out the range of activities and approaches to community engagement and in identifying case studies that had not previously received due attention. The study will be complete in early 2015. Check the CAM website for updates: http://www.maltwood. uvic.ca/cam/ A second study was initiated by the ICOM

Asia-Pacific Alliance (ICOM-ASPAC) in order to gain a thorough understanding of the current situation of museums in the Asia-Pacific region as well as visitor expectations. The aim of the study is to improve the services museums provide to the public in order to enrich the visitor experience. The study is based on a preliminary survey that was carried out between 2012 and 2013 in China. The questionnaires were designed and revised by museum professionals and academics, and have been distributed to both the general public and museum professionals in 10 Asia-Pacific countries. The survey results will be released in February 2015 on the ASPAC website: http://aspac. icom.museum/

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IN FOCUS MUSEUMS FOR A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY

by Dr Eric Dorfman, Director of the Whanganui Regional Museum, New Zealand and Chair of ICOM NATHIST; and Prof. Dr Maria Isabel Landim, Professor at the Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo, Brazil and Vice-Chair of ICOM NATHIST

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© NEIL PALMER (CIAT) 2010

he announcement that International M u s e u m D a y 2 0 15 w a s t o embrace the theme of sustainable societies was welcome news for the ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History (NATHIST).

Ecosystem research and raising awareness of the need to use nature intelligently are part of the core activities of natural history museums, and the ICOM Code of Ethics for Natural History Museums, ratified in 2013, enhances the philosophical framework for doing so.

The history of building natural history collections stretches back as far as the beginning of humans’ extraction of resources from the environment, driven by the necessity to satisfy basic needs, and an insatiable curiosity about the vast variety of forms in nature. Since the beginning of human history, natural resources have been taken for granted, imagined to be unlimited and created for our benefit and usage.

Today, we are all too aware of the fragility of nature, and of its limits.

One of the most valuable activities of natural history museums is to improve our understanding of the planet and its

Farming on Mount Kenya highlights rural development and climate change—two of the issues natural history museums must grapple with to address the challenges of environmental sustainability

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vulnerabilities. For instance, estimates to condone poaching, a major source of something as basic as the number of of illicit wildlife trade. Further down the species on Earth range hugely, from 10 supply chain, assisting customs officials to billion to 100 billion. That, coupled with the identify material has long been a key role fact that only 1.5 billion of these have been for museums that have the capacity to do described, underscores so. Even increasing how lit tle we know. biosecurity measures Natural history collections at border crossings is Natural history collechold one of the keys to a complicated issue of tio ns h old re c o rds politics and resourcing. of species and entire environmental protection The role of awarenessnatural habitats that no longer exist, as well as altered distributions raising on these topics is one for which of extant species. In megadiverse countries natural history museums are ideally placed, such as Brazil, natural history collections because of their key roles in scholarship hold one of the keys to environmental protec- and public engagement. But is it ethical to tion. The fact that Brazil is currently working intervene in cultural practice?

International Museum Day 2015 is an through new legislation on collections underexcellent opportunity to communicate lines their importance. on these issues throughout the broader Population growth and its challenges museum sector, reaching members of the One of the greatest challenges for natural public who might not frequently visit natural history museums is how to address the history museums, or engage specifisocial issues that are the main obstacles to cally with their messages. Recycling, for creating environmental sustainability. With a instance, is a practice that can be equally world population of more than seven billion, promoted by art galleries, children’s the saturation of natural resource consump- museums, and museums of history.

However we address it, the theme tion has left a question mark over the legacy of International Museum Day 2015 is an for future generations on this planet.

In this context, NATHIST is working opportunity to reflect on the way we, as a to raise awareness of illicit trafficking of society, practise the stewardship of our wildlife among natural history museums surroundings. The environment is not an and to incite their participation in combat- optional add-on or somewhere pleasant to ting the problem. The first meeting of the go at the weekend. It is the air we breathe, ICOM NATHIST Illicit Trafficking Working the water we drink and the food we eat. As Group held in Zagreb, Croatia in October our global temperature rises, our coral reefs 2014, attracted international experts from pass into memory and the Earth’s species all over the world, specialising in genetics, continue to disappear, celebrating sustainwildlife ecology, documentation and ability through International Museum Day is international law. The discussions quickly timelier than ever. revealed the key issues at stake: public The time has come for us to find collecawareness, equity, social welfare, museum tive solutions. To quote Benjamin Franklin, security and education. For instance, ‘We must all hang together, or assuredly we extreme poverty forces many communities shall all hang separately’. n

The happy (city) museum City museums in a quest for sustainability

by Marlen Mouliou, Lecturer in Museum Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece and Secretary of the ICOM International Committee for the Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities (CAMOC)

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©M. MOULIOU

Natural history museums for a sustainable society

The Dream of a City exhibition, Museum of Copenhagen

n today’s world, sustainability is a of case studies and theories expressed multifaceted vision and a necessity by philosophers, psychologists and that permeates all arenas of everyday economists, in order to identify the generic life. The omnipresence of the words elements of a happy city. He advocates that sustainability and sustainable indicates cities be regarded not merely as engines of the concept’s integration into 21st century wealth but rather as systems to improve policies and practices. The theme of human wellbeing by fulfilling seven needs: ma ximise joy; lead International Museum us towards health; Day 2015, Museums for Museums today have a offer us freedom to a sustainable society, social responsibility to build our lives as we reminds us that the build happier, more wish; build resilience ‘transition towards a sustainable society sustainable lives for citizens against economic or environmental shocks; re q u i re s i n ve n t i n g new methods of thinking and acting.’ apportion space, services and mobility City museums can play a key role in this fairly; enable us to build and strengthen bonds between friends, families and process.

From a critical viewpoint, the term strangers; and open doors to empathy and sustainability is synonymous with maintain- cooperation, helping us tackle the great able, bearable and workable, all of which challenges of this century. connote survival strategies. But isn’t the quest for sustainable societies more What makes a happy (city) museum? meaningful when associated with people’s Museums today have a social responsibility wellbeing and the inherent and perennial to build happier, more sustainable lives for human desire for happiness? citizens. The Happy Museum Project in the This article advocates an alternative UK ‘looks beyond financial and resource reading of sustainable societies and management and considers a museum’s city museums by reflecting on two key role as steward of people, place and planet, questions: What makes a happy city? and supporting institutional and community What makes a happy (city) museum? resilience in the face of global financial and environmental challenges’ (http://www.

What makes a happy city? happymuseumproject.org). Its philosophy In the century of the city, this question is is grounded on six principles: create more pertinent than ever, calling for inter- conditions for wellbeing; pursue mutual disciplinary research tools and reliable relationships; value the environment as empirical data of global scope. Going a steward of the future and the past; be beyond traditional assessment barom- an active citizen; learn for resilience; and eters and indexes, Charles Montgomery, measure what matters.

City museums achieving this happy in his book Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design (2013), charts state do exist, but their number needs the intersection of urban design and the to grow. Within the ICOM International science of happiness based on a number Committee for the Collections and Activities

of Museums of Cities (CAMOC), examples of city museums that are introducing new concepts and adjusting old ones are frequent. Through participation, collaboration, community engagement, connectivity, control sharing, reciprocity, community stewardship and resilience, today’s progressive city museums are tackling issues of immigration, urban ecology, human rights, civic identities, and more.

The Museum of Copenhagen in Denmark has developed a mix of exemplar y participator y community engagement projects to foster social wellbeing, such as The Dream of a City space, an interactive zone where children and adults imagine and invent the city of the future together; and the WALL, a 12-metre multi-touch screen that evokes the city’s past and present using the museum archive and crowdsourced material. Meanwhile, the Ghent City Museum in Belgium recently held a temporary exhibition, Sticking Around, which re-interprets and represents the heritage of immigrant workers as part and parcel of the city’s industrial heritage.

C A M O C ’s q u a r te r l y n e w s l e t te r (CAMOCnews) also presents inspiring examples of city museums operating on the basis of citizen involvement: from the Little Museum of Dublin, Ireland, which aims to become the world’s best small city museum with the support of its 2,500 volunteers, to the Suita City Museum in Osaka, Japan, which has been fully committed to cultivating a participatory culture of operation.

A happy and sustainable city museum is a complex ecosystem whose residents define its mind, body and spirit. Monitoring the collective urban heartbeat and ensuring the city’s good health is the key role of city museums today and into the future. n N°4 2014 | ICOMNEWS 9

©KEN

or lifts us somehow; something that sets us on a new journey of discovery. That’s why I go to museums: because they are where the unexpected happens.’1 So when should museums meet visitor expectations, and when should they defy them? For example, when does keeping up with technology enhance the visitor experience, and when does it detract from and ultimately diminish it? To make the right decisions, museums first need to be clear about their purpose and the unique value they bring to audiences. Any new initiative or investment should either augment this value or remove barriers that detract from it.

An experience designed around the visitor that incorporates service training, digitally enhanced ticketing, navigation and planning information can have a huge impact on visitors. It helps them reach the awe-inspiring good stuff sooner, without the frustration that many visitors (particularly first-timers) feel upon entering a museum. Museums should employ best practices from hospitality, retail and other sectors to help visitors access and find their way around the museum, and to make them feel welcome.

Museums would do well to put as much thought into accessibility as they do into an exhibit or installation.

What visitors want The way to meet museum visitors’ expectations is by defying them

by Nick O’Flaherty, Strategy Director at brand consultancy, Wolff Olins

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n u m b e r of re c e nt c ul tu ra l shif ts have shaped, and continue to shape, individual expectations: the ubiquity of the internet, constant connection to screens, desire for authenticity, heightened levels of service, alternative forms of communication … and the list goes on. Museums have realised that in order to remain relevant in this modern environment, the experience they offer must evolve in tandem with visitor expectations. But to what degree? As museums rush to keep up with changing contexts, do they risk delivering experiences that are more quotidian and expected, and less the 10 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014

departure from the day-to-day that many visitors seek?

For these visitors, museums are at their best when they surprise, awe and delight. They go to see in real life what a screen cannot provide, collectively experience the museum as a space, and to deepen and broaden their knowledge. It is when these elements come together that the visitor gets that transcendent, overwhelming, unexpected experience. As Mark Elliot, Senior Curator at the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology at Cambridge, puts it, ‘we may go to see a famous artwork, and end up meeting someone special. We may go to get out of the rain and come face to face with an artefact that changes the way we think,

© PANDU ADNYANA

SPECIAL REPORT THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Gardens by the Bay in Singapore

Bloomberg, commented, ‘each of the institutions we’re supporting use technology in different ways to engage, educate and immerse their visitors—and to make their world-class resources available to a greater number of people, more of the time.’

The Serpentine Galleries in London have recognised the central role a website can play in enhancing and extending the overall visitor experience. The museum has acknowledged the growth and power of the online community by enabling currently exhibiting artists to design and re-design their website. By allowing for co-creation, the galleries have redistributed power from the institution to the hands of artists—maintaining the museum´s dynamism and relevance. It also recognises visitors´ desire and expectation to engage with the museum beyond the physical space.

Amplifying unique value Many museums today are enhancing or augmenting their unique value to audiences by getting to know them better. This means understanding how visitors process or seek information, and that language doesn’t need to be simplified in order to be understood, made relevant or to pique curiosity. More museums are providing tools that allow visitors to uncover a deeper understanding of their collections, helping them see connections and context in a way that is neither didactic nor overwhelming. With 80% of adults Partners to unlock potential predicted to have smartphones by 2020,2 we are well equipped New partnerships are being formed beyond the field of philanto access data. With screens in our pockets, the need for more thropy to help museums find new ways to unlock the potential screens, which are constantly becoming outdated in galleries, of their unique resources. Collaboration with online learning is diminished. The value visitors seek from platforms like Khan Academy and tech giants museums is help viewing patterns in the data like Google, or inviting thinkers and innovators That’s why I go to —a role museums have fulfilled since their to a permanent co-working space housed museums: because they inception. within the museum, are just a few successful Museums are experimenting with digital examples. These outside collaborations are are where the technology more than ever—helped by organhelping decision makers challenge the status unexpected happens quo, understand their audiences better and isations like Bloomberg Philanthropies, which extend the impact of their institutions. recently expanded its grant funding for cultural institutions’ digital Museums are working to hit the sweet spot between what they projects to $17 million. One grantee, the Brooklyn Museum, US, alone can offer as an institution and what their visitors are looking will equip employees with smartphones and an app to help answer for in the outside world. As they enhance the experiences they offer, visitor questions in real time as they move through the galleries. digital or otherwise, museums must innovate by identifying their This innovation stays true to the museum’s mission to bridge the unique value, and find ways to augment it or provide better access gap between the museum’s artistic heritage and the unique needs to it. In doing so, they produce an experience as transcendent and of each of its visitors. Last month, another grantee, Gardens by unexpected as the content and space of the museum itself. n the Bay in Singapore, launched its first mobile app, which adds a layer to the museum experience with a multimedia guide to the plant life in the gardens, an interactive map and educational 1 U ni ve r si t y of C a m b r id g e, 2 013. We ask t he ex p er t s: why do we pu t t h i n g s i n t o m u s e u m s? h t t p: // w w w. c a m . a c . u k / r e s e a r c h /d i s c u s s i o n / games. This allows visitors to go deeper, explore hidden locations we-ask-the-experts-why-do-we-put-things-into-museums/ and interact with its content and each other. In an interview with 2 Andreessen Horowitz, 2014. ‘Mobile is Eating the World’. Forbes Online Magazine. http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2014/11/09/mobile-is-eating-the-world/ the Wall Street Journal, former New York City mayor, Michael

N°4 2014 | ICOMNEWS 11

SPECIAL REPORT THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Reaching the modern visitor

Interview by Aedín Mac Devitt

You have been working for the Rijksmuseum since 2002.

How has the visitor experience at the museum evolved in that twelve-year period?

Peter Gorgels: Twelve years ago, the Rijksmuseum presented its various collections of paintings, fine art, crafts and so on, as separate departments. There was also a separate Dutch history department. Tourists mainly came to see our most famous art works, those of Rembrandt and Vermeer and the paintings of the Golden Age; the rest of the permanent exhibition was primarily of interest to specialists and enthusiasts. The connections between these different strands were left unexplored. This led to a perception of the museum as complicated and daunting. A visit to the Rijksmuseum was more of an obligation than an energising experience.

Our recent renovation was an opportunity for the museum to reinvent itself. Today the Rijksmuseum tells the story of the Netherlands from the Middle Ages to the present. The collection is presented chronologically, mixing the various strands to produce an enchanting picture of the history and art history of the Netherlands.

In your experience, what do audiences really love?

PG: I think visitors want to see a fresh, modern presentation, with an open atmosphere and a few surprises in store. These days everyone is welcome to take photographs in the Rijksmuseum; we have high-quality public-access Wi-Fi and a first-rate restaurant.

We have also introduced playful elements such as Maarten Baas’ Grandfather Clock and Shylight by Studio Drift, a light sculpture that unfolds and retreats in a fascinating choreography that mirrors the movement of real flowers. As the museum’s director Wim Pijbes puts it: ‘the Rijksmuseum should be an exciting, happening venue’.

It’s also important to carry out renovation that lasts. I’ve seen some wonderful new renovations lose their sheen and look dated within a matter of years. In my view, a combination of freshness and durability is ideal.

What digital channels have been most effective in bringing about positive experiences for visitors to the Rijksmuseum?

PG: Our new website has proved to be a success. We believe that this is due to a number of principles. The first is simplicity. The 12 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014

website has been designed as an app. We have taken a good look at what motivates visitors to visit our website and we have designed the site to respond directly to their needs. That’s why there are only three buttons on our homepage: Plan your visit, Collection and About the museum. Plan your visit and Collection cover 90% of visitors’ needs.

The Rijksmuseum sells 30% of its tickets through the website, an unprecedentedly high figure for the museum world. While this is partly a reflection of the museum’s success, we think it’s also because the vast majority of visitors to the site are able to find what they want immediately. In no time at all, they can do what they came to do.

The main goal of our e-strategy is to establish the closest possible relationship between the collection and the general public. The power of the image comes first. We live in a visual, digital culture where pictures are the primary mode of communication. This realisation has led us to identify a new target group known as culture snackers. This group enjoys viewing images online and sharing them with friends and followers. We reckon that, to some extent, everybody is a culture snacker nowadays and it’s important for museums to tap into this development.

Rijksstudio has been developed with this target audience in mind. It is an environment in which visitors can view all of our works full-screen, zoom in and create collections based on their own interests, Pinterest-style. They can also download all of our works in high res and do their own thing with them, even for commercial use.

Rijksstudio now has over 170,000 accounts, 250,000 collections and 900,000 downloads.

In your opinion, is social media most effective as a communications tool, or as a means of engaging visitors?

PG: I think that social media can be extremely effective as a way of getting visitors involved in the museum. The aim is not so much direct conversion, though that may be a knock-on effect, but to establish a natural presence in the lives of our visitors.

In our social media strategy, the image is paramount. We present beautiful and surprising works that have a topical link or relate to a specific activity or exhibition. This enables the collection to function as a natural form of content marketing and turns the works and our friends and followers into ambassadors for the Rijksmuseum.

In emphasising the digital experience, is there a danger of alienating a more traditional, older audience?

PG: No, I don’t think so, because—as I’ve already mentioned— these days we are all culture snackers to some extent. That said, it is important not to lose touch with enthusiasts and professionals, and that’s something that we’ve built into the Rijksstudio concept.

Choosing a target audience and focusing on that group doesn’t necessarily mean that you stop serving your other audiences. The more people engage with the works through digital media, the more

Shylight by Studio Drift, a captivating light sculpture at the Rijksmuseum

©STUDIO DRIFT

Peter Gorgels, Digital Manager at the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands, explains how the museum’s renovation and digital strategy have transformed the visitor experience

©RIJKSMUSEUM

aim is to offer products and services that genuinely enhance the user’s experience and which are a pleasure to use.

they want to come and see them in real life. The physical and the digital domains work hand-in-hand towards the same goal: encouraging people to enjoy these works of art, wherever they are. n

What are the most common pitfalls for museums in digital terms?

PG: In our opinion, a good concept and good execution offer the best chance of success when combined with thinking in terms of relevant trends from the perspective of today’s digital users.

Museums often make the mistake of emphasising issues that are of little direct relevance to their audience, focusing too much on political or organisational concerns or letting themselves be led by technology. Open data, open design, html5, apps, responsive web, zoom-in technology and the like are all important elements, but in themselves, don’t really provide added value for users. The ultimate N°4 2014 | ICOMNEWS 13

New experiences, new practices

Château de Versailles and the Louvre-Lens in France. The scientific component was designed by a team of representatives from the institutions that manage the museum, under the umbrella of the Tunisian Ministry of Culture.

New practices The new guide is therefore a solution that will help place archaeological objects in their proper context by linking them to frames of reference (maps showing where they were discovered, timelines, etc.) and offering

by Soumaya Gharsallah-Hizem, former Director of the Bardo National Museum and current more didactic tours.

Director of the Tunis office of the Kamel Lazaar Foundation for Arts and Culture Visitors can choose from one of three scripted tours: a discovery tour featuring the n June 2014, the Bardo National the redesigning of many of its rooms, the highlights of the collection, a mosaic tour Museum in Tunisia, located in the Tunis institution has remained removed from exploring the most beautiful objects at the suburb of Bardo, launched a digital the public. This was confirmed by visitor Bardo, which houses the largest collection visitor guide offering interactive visits. The comment cards expressing frustration with of mosaics in the world, and a children’s tour, guide uses a mobile software application the lack of information on the collection. which encourages the interactive discovery that can be downloaded on a smartphone In addition, the visitor guides that were of a selection of museum pieces in the form of a treasure hunt. or loaded onto mobile devices available at available before the The children’s tour the entrance to the museum. museum’s expansion The new visitor’s guide promotes reading and This guide—the first of its kind to be became obsolete after places archaeological imparts knowledge by offered in a Tunisian museum—aims to the renovation and the improve museum visits while making up for resulting reorganisa- objects in context by linking presenting it in a fun the museum’s lack of audiovisual offerings. tion of the collection them to frames of reference way. The three different visits were designed It also brings the museum into the digital age and development of by using state-of-the-art technology. new tours. These were the reasons behind around scripts and tours that make use of the creation of a digital guide aimed the museum’s layout as well as signs made An identified need primarily at school groups and individual specifically to accompany the digital guide.

The new visitor guide is helping to Despite the renovation and expansion of visitors. the Bardo National Museum—the largest The Bardo National Museum’s new change the image of archaeological museum in Tunisia—which resulted in layout encompasses what Jean Davallon, museums in Tunisia as dusty, archaic instithe opening of a new wing in 2012 and Professor of Museology at France’s Uni- tutions. Its gaming aspect draws in young versity of Avignon, calls ‘object museo- museum-goers and has transformed the logy’, leaving little space for interactive visit into an interactive experience in which technologies. The collection is therefore the visitor becomes a central player. The intellectually inaccessible to the public, guide offers a way to connect a generaand especially to young and uninitiated tion that is increasingly familiar with video visitors. What’s more, the labyrinthine games, touch screens, and new technology hallways of the exhibition lose visitors as with archaeology, helping young people would the streets of an old city, requiring explore their history. It was also designed them to construct their own points of refer- to allow visitors to continue their visit at home through a mobile application, which ence throughout the visit.

With limited financial resources, which will link back to information they learned at were further reduced by the economic and the museum. social crisis that has plagued Tunisia since This project is considered a forerunner the events of 14 January, 2011, the museum for Tunisian museums, which often avoid had to find donors to fund the digital visitor introducing interactive digital tools for fear guide project. The creation of the new guide of encountering technical or maintenance was technically and financially supported problems. It is above all an effort to attract by a telephone operator in Tunisia, which larger numbers of visitors to the museum and The Bardo National Museum’s new digital guide has also developed visitor guides for the to disseminate knowledge to the public. n

A new digital visitor guide at Tunisia’s Bardo National Museum is part of the museum’s new interactive approach

©BARDO NATIONAL MUSEUM/HANÈNE SERARFI

I

14 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014

Experimental design Engaging visitors through experimental exhibitions

by Matthias Beitl, Director of the Austrian Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art

T

he Volkskundemuseum Wien (Austrian Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art) was founded in 1895 in Vienna. It houses extensive collections of objects covering folk art and historical everyday culture, as well as a comprehensive collection of photographs. The holdings come from all regions of the former Habsburg Monarchy, as well as other European countries.

In contemporary society, this type of collection has taken on an almost archaeological nature, slipping out of public, cultural and political consciousness. Yet today more than ever, ethnological museums need to explain and assert their potential for participating in public discourse.

Traditionally guardians of cultural memory, the role of ethnological museums now lies in engaging with cultural diversity and contributing to social dialogue. Their collections can create fodder for discussion about the past, present and future.

Paradoxically, much of this politically charged cultural heritage is found in museums that are themselves on the margins of cultural and political life. This lack of attention, resulting in ever-decreasing resources, led the Volkskundemuseum Wien to develop a project called Museum_ inside_out. Work on memory. A discourse and exhibition project.

Staff-visitor interaction The project’s objective was to invite public discussion on the very foundations of the museum. It aimed to engage visitors on the themes of the museum and its collections; its exhibition practice; and its relationship with the public. Following a prolonged period of research and dialogue, the setting

©ESEL.AT/VOLKSKUNDEMUSEUM WIEN

SPECIAL REPORT THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Handing over memories at the exhibition Family Makers.

On holding on, connecting, letting go

chosen for this exhibition was an all-access continue experimenting as an integral part workspace, which allowed visitors to come of our museum work.

A nother project hosted by the into contact with museum staff without any Volkskundemuseum Wien was initiated defined structure.

By working their way through the multi- and led by cultural anthropologist Elisabeth functional workstations—a temporary Timm. Entitled Family Makers. On holding depot, an object registry, an inventory on, connecting, letting go, this project was station, a study and education station, more a form of interactive installation than an and a library—visitors could, at any time, exhibition. One section, called Super-Family start up a conversation with a member of Album, consisted of an oversized book with the museum’s staff. This open invitation samples of family photos and a neutral to engage with the staff represented the photo studio wall, where visitors could most personal and direct form of museum take selfies. The intention of this hands-on communication. In the event that certain exhibition was to provide space for reflecstaff members were not tion on the tradition of available, personalised positioning families in The project’s objective was front of a camera. workstation b oxes to invite public discussion on which each staff A nother instal member described on the very foundations of lation called Swap their work in their Shelf invited visitors the museum own words—known to contribute objects internally as ‘poetic job descriptions’— from their own family contexts, along with a functioned as a storytelling placeholder. short inventory of the objects and explanaAn elaborate signage system was tions as to why they selected them. Others created to help orient visitors in the museum. took or exchanged items, but were always Several red lines marked pathways into asked to document this on inventory cards. the staged workspace area, which were The installation worked best within certain designed to make visitors feel comfortable organised events, evoking intense dialogue entering a real workspace. In practice, between visitors on leaving behind and however, many visitors still felt that they were shifting memories. in the way, so we began greeting the guests As part of these exchanges, the at the room’s entrance and inviting them in, museum was able to shift its own percepwhich proved successful. tion of itself and its role in society. The While the arrangement did give rise to projects raised many questions about the many valuable exchanges, it did not attract importance of museums as learning instia large number of visitors, probably due to tutions and how they could engage with a lack of marketing resources. However, visitors more effectively. It led to a sense this may ultimately have been the best of self-discovery for the museum and to outcome, as it would have been impossible a new understanding of how the museum to deal with a high concentration of visitors, can operate to connect with visitors on a and the experience encouraged us to meaningful level. n N°4 2014 | ICOMNEWS 15

HERITAGE IN DANGER SYRIA

Archaeological looting in Syria An analysis of the widespread looting and illicit trafficking of Syrian cultural heritage, and efforts to combat it Dr Brian I. Daniels, Director of Research and Programs, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Penn Cultural Heritage Center, US

©AAAS: SOURCE WITHHELD FOR SECURITY REASONS

had been pockmarked with the all-too-familiar halo of looters’ pits.

These images have since circulated widely on the internet, raising scholarly and public awareness about the possibility that famous sites might be targeted and raising expectations that updated satellite imagery through Google Earth might offer a regular aerial view of on-the-ground site damage in an active conflict zone.

What we know Careful satellite analysis is telling us a great deal about the scale of archaeological site looting. A December 2014 report authored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania Museum and Smithsonian Institution, showed how extensive looting has become at some of Syria’s tentative World Heritage sites. The famous frontier city of Dura-Europos, home to the oldest surviving synagogue in the world, has been close to obliterated. By April 2014, 76% of the An image of an ancient palace in Syria, showing a looter’s pit going into area within its city walls had been completely looted. Outside the the side of the mound city walls, looters opened some 3,750 pits between 2011 and 2014.

Similarly, looting is now widespread at the early 3rd millennium BC site of Mari and appears to have intensified within the past year. ow almost in its fourth year, the Syrian civil war has Between August 2011 and March 2014, looters opened about devastated the country’s people and its cultural heritage. 165 excavation pits. Between March and November 2014, they In recent months, increasing attention has been given dug approximately 1,286 pits, i.e. an average of 5.5 holes every to archaeological site looting as an additional area of concern, day during this seven-month period. Even more worrisome is that especially because it points to the involvement of the Islamic Mari is located in a region of Syria that came under ISIS control in June 2014. At Ebla—the site of an important State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in illicit trade. An Early Bronze Age kingdom—looters dug 45 increase in illicit trade in cultural goods from Between March and pits between August 2013 and August 2014, Syria is of special concern for ICOM and its November 2014, looters and some looting seems to have resulted in the International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in dug 1,286 pits: an average erosion of portions of the site.

Cultural Goods.

While we know that looting is occurring on Regrettably, we have watched archaeoof 5.5 holes every day a significant scale at these and other famous logical site looting in Syria occur in something approximating real time. While accessing these sites on the archaeological sites, we know much less about the profit that ground is nearly impossible due to the conflict, the country’s civil traffickers have realised from the trade. Some media reports have war is the first major event for which Google Earth imagery has claimed that looted Syrian and Iraqi archaeological material might been widely available to a broad public audience. Using this online be worth between $70m and $200m USD on the black market—or tool, by 2012, archaeologists and other cultural heritage profes- even higher amounts. Others have gone so far as to insist that sionals were pointing to before and after images of Apamea, which archaeological looting is the second-largest source of ISIS

income. However, these assertions have no empirical basis and should be regarded as spurious. The existence of a direct link between terrorist groups such as ISIS and the international art market is a strong and controversial claim.

What we do know of ISIS involvement comes from Syrian archaeologists and museum professionals who have been caught up in areas now under its control.

They have observed that ISIS is charging a certain percentage of the value on looted objects as a kind of tax. However, how this tax is collected is not uniform across ISIS-controlled territory, as local ISIS emirs seem to be maintaining a good deal of discretion in determining whether archaeological excavation is itself an un-Islamic activity. In some regions, ISIS may also be entering the business of illicit excavations itself.

Combatting efforts Archaeological site looting in Syria is being addressed in multiple ways. There have been significant legal developments to curtail the international circulation of looted

material. The European Union has already restricted the importation of Syrian cultural property, and the United States is now considering a new law that would enact import restrictions on certain archaeological and ethnological material that left Syria unlawfully after 2011. ICOM has been at the forefront of raising awareness among the public and law enforcement agencies about the illicit trade in antiquities from Syria. In 2013, it launched an Emergency Red List for Syria, funded by the U.S. Department of State, which illustrates examples of commonly looted objects.

Other efforts have focused on systematic documentation and emergency training. The U.S. Department of State has partnered with the American Schools of Oriental Research to conduct a geospatial survey of damage to Syrian archaeological sites. An association of international experts in the archaeology, art and history of the ancient Near East has formed in order to offer their expertise. Known as Shirín, the group aims to support ongoing efforts to protect Syrian cultural heritage and produce a comprehensive database

of excavation records. In addition, ICOMOS and ICCROM have provided training on emergency planning and conservation to staff in Syria’s Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums.

A collaborative project between the University of Pennsylvania Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and The Day After Association is implementing emergency cultural heritage protection projects inside Syria. Jointly directed by the Chair of ICOM’s Disaster Relief Task Force, this initiative has brought together refugee scholars and a network of heritage professionals from Syria in order to safeguard museum collections and sites at extreme risk for looting or damage in areas that are now outside of the control of the Assad government.

These efforts represent the first practical steps in protecting Syria’s cultural heritage and controlling the pernicious trafficking of Syria’s past. We can only hope that they contribute collectively to the protection of Syria’s heritage into the future. n

N

16 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014

N°4 2014 | ICOMNEWS 17

ICOM COMMUNITY

©INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE INCLUSIVE MUSEUM

by Katrin Hieke, independent museum professional and Board member of ICOM Germany and Linda Norris, independent museum professional and blogger (The Uncatalogued Museum) Some 400 participants of 30 nationalities, including many from the hosting ICOM National Committees of Russia, Germany and the United States, came to St. Petersburg to attend the Museum and Politics conference at the State Hermitage Museum. In his opening remarks, ICOM President Prof. Dr

ICOM International Committee for the Training of Personnel (ICTOP) 18 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014 met in Vietnam this year

Hans-Martin Hinz spoke about the founding of ICOM in 1946, in ‘a world trying to repair our own devastation’, a motivation that remains ‘the living impulse for ICOM’s work.’ It would be a failure, he said, if we did not cooperate or allowed ourselves to become overwhelmed by new political circumstances. Alluding to the different impassioned views on the conflict in Ukraine, he said that ICOM is pursuing its work without being pulled apart by politics.

Conference speakers from throughout the world addressed issues of politics and power in museums. They spoke about identity, war and reparations, and addressing painful history. Along with our team members Kristiane Janeke and Irina Chuvilova, we

were able to cover the conference as a four member, tri-national team, where we encouraged worldwide discussion about the topic long before the conference began, and reported directly from the event. For many participants, our experiences in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg demonstrated the enormous potential and the great need for creating spaces where deep dialogue can happen among colleagues. This conference, and the social media project, were important steps in finding spaces for global dialogue among museum colleagues.

For more about the conference and the subject of Museums, Politics and Power, visit: museumspoliticsandpower.org

ICOM International Committee for Collecting (COMCOL) in Slovenia for their 2014 meeting

ICOM International Committee for Marketing and Public Relations (MPR) at their 2014 Conference in Taichung, Taiwan

©A.J. VAN DAM

Museum and Politics International ICOM Conference, Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, Russia, 9-12 September, 2014

Effrosyni Nomikou of King’s College London, UK. The workshop encouraged participants to discuss exhibition challenges and methods for text and visual presentation, and the use of other mediatodisplayandcommunicatethecollection to the public. The workshop was very well received and ICOMON Chair Christel Schollaard suggested that similar workshops be organised for future annual meetings.

The conference highlighted the importance of outreach to other committees and provided a great opportunity for multicultural dialogue and networking.

session highlighted ICOM-CC’s work with the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and A r tistic Works (IIC) regarding the development of global environmental standards for museums.

The combined-effort document that came out of this session has been uploaded to the ICOM-CC and IIC websites, opening it up for further discussion : http://www. icom-cc.org/

ICOM President Hans-Martin Hinz with the ICOM Board members elected for 2014-2017

For a non-exhaustive list of conferences organised by ICOM’s International and National Committees, Regional Alliances and Affiliated Organisations in 2014, visit ICOMMUNITY or the ICOM website: http://icom.museum/events/calendar/2014/

Participants of the 2014 Conference of the International Committee for Exhibition Exchange (ICEE) in Mänttä, Finland

ICOM President Hans-Martin Hinz and participants of the ICOM International Committee for Regional Museums (ICR) in Taipei, Taiwan N°4 2014 | ICOMNEWS 19 © ICR

by Vesna Kovač, Head of Exhibition and Education Unit, National Bank of Serbia The annual meeting of the ICOM Committee for Money and Banking Museums (ICOMON) took place at the National Bank of Serbia and was attended by 49 participants from 23 countries spread across five continents. Its three-day programme included presentations

by 13 speakers on topics ranging from Money museums can be a tool for financial consumer protection to Rethinking development and management of a numismatic collection. Each day of the conference was dedicated to a theme, with the first day focusing on The importance of preservingandpromotingnumismaticcollections as a symbol of national identity and the second day on Civic education comes before financial literacy and results in financial culture.

The third day was dedicated to a workshop entitled Show and tell: planning accessible numismatic exhibits, which was conducted by

©NATAŠA MÜLLER

Money and Banking Museums: Raising Heritage and Financial Education Awareness ICOMON Annual Meeting, Belgrade, Serbia, 1-4 July 2014

by Kristiane Strætkvern, Conservator at the National Museum of Denmark and Chair of ICOM-CC The 17th Triennial Conference of ICOM’s Committee for Conservation (ICOMCC) brought together conser vators, scientists, historians and art historians, curators, librarians, archivists, students, collection managers and directors to exchange news and discuss the field of conservation and collection care. Jointly organised by ICOM-CC, the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation of the University of Melbourne and the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM), this year’s edition attracted 650 delegates from 50 different countries.

Throughout the conference week, 150 papers presenting the latest research and practice in the field of conservation were delivered and 100 posters were displayed.

These presentations introduced research, techniques and approaches in conservation and conservation science, mirroring the aims and triennial programmes of ICOM-CC’s 21 specialised working groups. The generous support of the Getty Conservation Institute has enabled ICOM-CC to publish peer-reviewed Conference Preprints of these presentations.

A s is the custom for ICOM - CC conferences, Wednesday was dedicated to plenary sessions and technical visits.

The first plenary session included keynote speakers from Australia, the Philippines and Japan, who presented case histories of cultural heritage sites and artefacts that had been damaged by natural disasters, a growing problem in Oceania and in other parts of the world. The second

©CARINA JAATINEN

In 2014, ICOM’s International and National Committees gathered in venues all around the world to share information and exchange ideas on a wide spectrum of themes. While all the noteworthy conferences and annual meetings cannot be covered here, the following reports by members of the ICOM network recount some of the year’s highlights.

Building Strong Cultures through Conservation ICOM-CC Triennial Conference, M e l b o u rn e , Aus t r a l i a , 15 -19 September, 2014

©MPR

ICOM Committee meetings: the year in review

ICOM COMMUNITY Memory and Learning in a Changing World IC MEMO Annual Conference, Falstad, Norway, 15-17 September, 2014

1914-2014: From the War of Empires to the Dialogue of Culture International Conference and Exhibition, Lviv, Ukraine, 14-15 November, 2014

by Kateryna Chuyeva, Deputy Director General, The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kiev, Ukraine; Executive Secretary, Blue Shield Ukraine; and ICOM Ukraine Board member Organised by ICOM Ukraine and supported by the ICOM Special Project Grant and ICOM Europe, this international conference commemorating World War I took place at the Museum of Ethnography and Applied Arts in Lviv, Ukraine. The conference gathered more than 30 speakers from Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine, as well as numerous guests from museums, reserves, universities and local authorities to discuss such themes as Memory of World War I and The cultural heritage of the border areas: ethnicity and social responsibility.

ICOM President Prof. Dr Hans-Martin Hinz gave the opening speech of the conference, in which he discussed how cultural public policy

has often supported museums in times of social change, enabling the public to reflect on the past and imagine a positive future. He pointed out that ‘political aspirations and the progress of museums are inevitably closely connected in the development of nation-states around the world today’. Prof. Dr Hinz also participated in a panel discussion on Cultural heritage: shared responsibility on the role of museums and public and governmental institutions in creating shared responsibility for cultural heritage, along with Dr Volodymyr V’atrovych, Director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory and Dr Vasyl Rozhko, Head of the Museum Department of the Ministry of Culture in Ukraine.

The opening of the special exhibition, Our/ Others. What the museum artefacts are silent about, supported by the R. Akhmetov Foundation, also took place during the conference. It focuses on the issue of social identification and museum interpretation of our own culture and heritage, versus that of others, gathering a number of objects from museum collections in Lviv.

Participants gathered at the Falstad Memorial and Human Rights Centre in Norway for the 2014 IC MEMO Annual Conference Participants at the 2014 ICOFOM LAM Annual Conference

Squaring the Circle? Research, Museum, Public CECA and UMAC Joint Conference, Alexandria, Egypt, 9-14 October, 2014

by Nicole Gesché, Lecturer, Royal Art Academy in Brussels; Assistant at the Université libre de Bruxelles; and former Chair of CECA (1995-1998) For the first time, ICOM’s International Committees for Education and Cultural Action (CECA) and for University Museums and Collections (UMAC) organised a joint conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. Some 135 participants from all continents participated in the four-day programme, planned by Prof. Mona Haggag from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Alexandria, which addressed 20 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014

questions such as: How should messages for museum audiences be conceived?

What is the common work of museum researchers, curators and educators? How do they each view their role as a mediator? and How should visits be carried out to allow any visitor to enjoy any museum exhibit?

A wide variety of papers were presented during the conference, giving university researchers and museum educators an opportunity to revisit museum collections through multiple perspectives and interpretations. The conference opened with discussion of how to surprise, engage and involve visitors and attract their imagination. Egyptian researchers, curators and educators spoke about the current situation of museums in Egypt

and international speakers analysed the use of museums to promote inspiration and creativity, reminding participants of the importance of mutual respect and awareness of cultural identity. Examples from all over the world demonstrated how museums stimulate curiosity and imagination, pointing out how important such experiences can be in times of crisis.

Thanks to Badrya Serry from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Nivine Khaled from the Faculty of Arts of the Univeristy of Alexandria; and Jean-Yves Empereur and Fanny Alliaud from the Centre d’Études Alexandrines, as well as many others. The conference impressed the Egyptian colleagues so much that it sparked discussions about creating a Master’s in Museum Studies at the University of Alexandria.

New Trends in Latin American Museology ICOFOM LAM Annual Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-19 November, 2014

by Mónica Risnicoff de Gorgas, Advisory Board member, ICOFOM LAM and former Director, Museo Nacional Estancia Jesuítica de Alta Gracia, Argentina The 22nd meeting of the ICOM International Committee for Museology’s regional sub-committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (ICOFOM LAM) brought together more than 100 professionals from across the region to discuss peer-reviewed papers on key issues related to regional context, cultural diversity, memory and intangible heritage, highlighting the depth and social commitment of museology in Latin America. Convened by Nelly Decarolis, Chair of ICOM Argentina, the event was an excellent opportunity to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this regional sub-committee which, through its publications and annual meetings, is working to lay a foundation for museology in Latin America.

©ICOM ARGENTINA

©FALSTAD CENTRE

by Julie Higashi, Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan The Falstad Memorial and Human Rights Centre in Norway was a perfect venue for the 2014 annual conference of ICOM’s International Committee of Memorial Museums in Remembrance of the Victims of Public Crimes (IC MEMO), which focused on dealing with near and distant traumas, and how memorials and museums can serve future democratic development and intercultural understanding. Local museum professionals and scholars, as well as those hailing from Estonia, Israel, Japan, Spain, Germany, the

US, the Netherlands and Norway, participated in this three-day meeting, co-sponsored by the Trondheim Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Keynote speakers Dr Clifford Chanin, Vice-President for Education and Public Programs at the National 9/11 Memorial Museum, and Dr Tor Einar Fagerland, leader of the New Utøya Project on the 22 July, 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway, tackled issues related to creating memorials and museums from recent events. Bernhard Purin, a member of the scientific committee for the 1972 Munich Olympic Memorial, updated the participants on the progression of this project. Other speakers included representatives of the European Observatory on Memories, the University of Barcelona Solidarity Foundation, and the European Association of History Educators.

Excursions to visit the Tordenskiold Park, the location of the July 22 Memorial, and to the nearby Jewish Museum were also organised, giving participants the opportunity to meet with local Trondheim government representatives to discuss the concept behind the memorial’s design. Following the conference, IC MEMO Chair Karen S. Franklin announced that the next meeting will be held in Munich and Flossenbuerg, Germany, on 8-11 November, 2015 on the theme Form-Architecture-Memory.

Keynote lectures gave a conceptual framework to the three-day programme, including speeches

by François Mairesse, Chair of ICOFOM; Tereza Scheiner, ICOM Vice-President and founding member of ICOMFOM LAM; and Óscar Navarro Rojas of the University of Costa Rica.

The work methodology for ICOFOM LAM’s conferences involves theme-based workshops during which participants produce documents containing reflections and advice. This time, the themes were: The strengthening of museology as a disciplinary area, new trends or old paradigms?; The role of the museum in current society; and Museology, innovation and its impact on museums.

The meeting concluded with a celebration of ICOFOM LAM’s 25th anniversary and the election of its new Chair, Olga Nazor from Argentina, who will replace Gladys Barrios from Guatemala. Nelly Decarolis and Tereza Scheiner also became, respectively, Honorary Chair and Permanent Consultant of the sub-committee. n

PUBLICATIONS

Memories of tomorrow Review by Bernard Schiele, Professor in the Graduate Programme in Science, Technology and Society at the University of Quebec, Montreal

T

hese two volumes recount in extensive detail the development of scientific, technical and industrial culture in France since the 1960s through the voices of those who, for the most part, were the movement’s key players and strongest supporters.

They shared their experiences during two meetings dedicated to physicist Michel Crozon in March 2010 and March 2012. The stories here are an exercise in the duty of remembrance and are intended to provide a written testimony to counter the ‘risk of forgetting the origins and conditions’ of the development of scientific, technical and industrial culture.

The reader will see from these testimonies that, while science and technology dominate modern society and drive social change, the democratisation of the knowledge and expertise on which they are based remains incomplete.

Sharing them requires careful and patient work on a daily basis to disseminate and appropriate knowledge, work that must constantly be reinvented due to the changing contexts to which scientific, technical and industrial culture must adapt in order to survive. These two volumes show that these types of culture are characterised by a constant flow of new initiatives, some of which occasionally crystallise—if for only a short time—in institutional forms (as was the case with France’s scientific and technical culture centres). Conversely, 22 ICOMNEWS | N°4 2014

they also show the inherent fragility of scientific, technical and industrial culture, which must constantly innovate to reaffirm its role in society, renew interest in science and technology, and attempt to compensate for an endemic lack of resources—without ever truly succeeding. In fact, every story illustrates how much scientific, technical and industrial culture owes its development to the strength of conviction of those who dedicated themselves to it.

To fully appreciate these two works and the potential wealth of information contained in them, one must carefully examine each testimony and then compare it to the others. Those who tell their stories focus mainly on their own experiences, which is why, in a way, this collection of memories is primarily intended for those with an interest in scientific, technical and industrial culture issues and especially for those who already understand them. Without such an understanding, reading these testimonies would quickly become tedious.

But if they are willing to undertake the patient work of an archaeologist, those with an interest in these issues will find enough raw material to start a body of work on scientific, technical and industrial culture in France.

If the authors’ objective was to leave a record so that someone, some day, could show the originality, wealth and complexity of scientific, technical and industrial culture in France, they have largely succeeded. These days, much attention is paid to intangible heritage. This is the heritage that these two volumes are restoring, and they are much needed.

Hier pour demain : une mémoire de la culture scientifique, technique et industrielle, Premières «Rencontres Michel Crozon», edited by E. Caillet, E. Guyon, P. Guillet, J.-C. Guiraudon, B. Maitte, O. Morand and M. Van-Praët Une mémoire pour demain : 30 ans de culture scientifique, technique et industrielle en France, Deuxièmes «Rencontres Michel Crozon», edited

by A. Bergeron, E. Caillet, D. Ferriot, E. Guyon, P. Guillet, J.-C. Guiraudon, B. Maitte, O. Morand and M. Van-Praët Publisher: L’Harmattan

ICOM Portugal and ICOM Europe Public policies towards museums in time of crisis: ICOM Portugal and ICOM Europe joint conference, Lisbon, Portugal. 5-6 April, 2013 / Luis Raposo (coord.), Flóra BereiNagy (coord. and transl.), Irina Duarte (transl.), Clara Camacho (transl.). Oeiras: Mapa das Ideias, 2014, 224 p.

This e-book reports on the joint conference of ICOM Portugal and ICOM Europe on the theme Public policies towards museums in time of crisis, which took place from 5-6 April, 2013. The publication includes speeches and presentations given at the conference as well as the Lisbon Declaration, which was penned during the event and later served as the basis for ICOM’s 2013 Resolution entitled ‘Viability and sustainability of museums within the Global Financial Crisis.’

The aim of the conference was to exchange knowledge about the diversity of public policies for museums and discuss the ways in which European museums have been affected by the global economic crisis—not only financially, but also socially and culturally.

Available online: http://issuu.com/mapadasideiaspt/docs/ icom_view_final/0#

ICOM Switzerland L’éthique au musée : un kit pour les professionnels de musées / David Vuillaume, Sandra Haldi and Anne-Laure Jean (coords.).

Zurich: ICOM Switzerland, 2014. 29 p. brochure, plus 1 CD and 1 copy of The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums. (in French and German) This kit aims to encourage and deepen reflection on the question of museum ethics.

It contains a copy of The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums and a CD that presents real and hypothetical case studies, which are displayed and described in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. The kit is adapted for individual study, but its principle function is to raise group discussion.

Available online: http://www.museums.ch/fr/publications/ autres-publications/kit-déontologie/

ICOM Germany Zur Ethik des Bewahrens: Konzepte, Praxis, Perspektiven. Jahrestagung 2013 von ICOM Deutschland, Köln, 17. bis 19. Oktober 2013 : Tagungsband / Anke Ziemer (red.).

Berlin: ICOM Deutschland, 2014. 148 p. (ICOM Deutschland - Beiträge zur Museologie ; 4) (in German) This publication gathers the presentations and discussions that took place at ICOM Germany’s 2013 Annual Meeting on the theme The ethics of conservation, which was held from 17-19 October, 2013 at the Rautenstrauch Joest Museum in Cologne. The proceedings include reflections on standards and requirements related to the physical preservation of natural and cultural objects, pointing out that the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage, as well as the transmission of this heritage to future generations, are moral obligations for museums.

Price: €15; €10 for ICOM members and participants Order from: ICOM Deutschland e. V., In der Halde, 1 – D-14195 Berlin, Germany.

Fax: +49 (0)30 69504526. Email: icom@icom-deutschland.de

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