Iziko Museums

IZIKO MUSEUMS OF SOUTH AFRICA AND

THE FUTURE OF MUSEUMS:

RECOVER AND REIMAGINE

WITH MS ROOKSANA OMAR

affectionately known as ‘Iziko’, is the mother city’s premier public cultural attraction, and operates eleven national museums, a planetarium, a social history archive, three collectionspecific libraries, as well as the wreck site of the São José Paquete Africa.

Iziko, an isiXhosa word meaning ‘hearth’, embodies the spirit of a transformed institution and the vision of ‘African Museums of Excellence’. The hearth is traditionally and symbolically the social centre of the home; a place associated with warmth, kinship and the spirits of ancestors. Iziko was thus envisaged as a space for all South Africans to gather, nourish body and soul, and share stories and knowledge passed from one generation to the next. Iziko seeks to celebrate our heritage whilst generating new cultural legacies for future generations, and a society that has moved beyond the shackles of the past.

In considering the 2021 theme for the upcoming International Museum Day, The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine, it’s important to recognise that – while museums such as Iziko seek to generate a sense of community and foreground heritage – there is much work to be done in addressing South Africa’s painful past, and navigating our contemporaneity of a pandemic, economic hardship, the on-set of global warming, and the ever-increasing growth in Artificial Intelligence, social media and technological advancements.

“Iziko Museums has a very deep history, legacy, practise – and it’s something that one is proud to learn from and be

associated with,” says Ms Rooksana Omar, CEO, Iziko Museums of South Africa. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Iziko Museums is perfect.”

“Because the Museums, the collections, are old – there is a huge need for these museums to engage in an introspection. We need to introspect in terms of our collections, in terms of our practises, in terms of what we are collecting and why we are collecting. And this introspection can be path-breaking; we have to look inside to be able to do things right outside.”

Ms Omar joined Iziko as Chief Executive Officer in 2010, the first woman at the helm of the establishment, and spearheaded Iziko’s institutional transformation process. Under Omar’s leadership, Iziko was renamed the Iziko Museums of South Africa – marking a turning point within the institution and affirming Iziko’s national status. Like South Africa’s anthem and flag, Iziko Museums is an integral part of our national identity.

“I think what really made me want to join the Iziko Museums of South Africa, and lead it, is that I’ve always perceived it as being iconic museums in the country. As we know, Iziko is one of the two flagships within South Africa – and I’ve always stood afar and admired the collections they’ve had, the people who work here, and the programmes they’ve done.

“It all seemed so fantastic, interesting, path-breaking; it just seemed so right and appealing to be a part of this team of people who were doing everything so right in terms of bringing the museums alive, bringing it to the people, and being

hugely creative. I was really attracted to that – to that ethos, to that business practice and how they were able to position themselves within the artistic, cultural and natural landscape in the country, and not just one little corner of South Africa.”

“We are continuously recognising that we’ve got to adapt. We’ve got to adapt, we’ve got to change, we’ve got to react,” says Ms Omar. “Museums are a reminder of the fact that we are on a continuous path of learning.”

This year, the Iziko South African National Gallery celebrates its 175th year, and in 2025, the Iziko South African Museum will turn 200-years-old. While these institutions have certainly stood the test of time, the 21st century – and especially the year 2020 – has brought with it many changes and challenges; the cultural sector is among the most affected, with serious economic, social and psychological repercussions in the short and long-term alike. However, this crisis, specifically that of Covid-19, has also served as a catalyst for crucial innovations that were already underway.

“You don’t always want to be the institution that has answers. We are learning from each other, from other practises, from other leaders, from other

museum workers, from exchanges. And I think that’s the plus about working at Iziko Museums; we know that we’ve got a heritage to look after, and it has relevance to South Africa, Africa and the world – but we don’t claim we always have the answers. And that is something very valuable in an institution, not to have an arrogance.”

Throughout her time leading Iziko, Omar has endeavoured to break down barriers between the Museums and communities, by making Iziko more inviting, open and accessible. Since her appointment, Omar has sought to develop the foundation for critical exchanges, build collections to speak to and represent South Africa’s collective past, and to recognise the inequities of the past – reclaiming powerful histories and working for social inclusion, knowledge creation and community participation.

“We say that we want to foster social cohesion, and we’ve got to accept that one of the world’s biggest challenges is the issue of social cohesion. It’s a challenge and there is no overnight solution – yet it’s important to bring people together, to work together, to find common ground, and to appreciate our differences.

“That is one of the most attractive things

about Iziko Museums; we have these disciplines – natural history, social history, art – and we try and bring them together to tell a holistic story. And I think you can see this in some of the galleries, where they are working with other collections and seeing the beauty of these vast collections coming together and taking on different meanings, and becoming more meaningful. By adding those elements – it actually gives one a far fuller understanding of ourselves as human beings.

...one of the most attractive things about Iziko Museums; we have these disciplines – natural history, social history, art – and we try and bring them together to tell a holistic story. And I think you can see this in some of the galleries,

“Visiting Iziko will really open your eyes to different narratives of the world in which we live. There are some fantastic exhibitions at each one of our museums, and they just bring a totally different narrative for different people.”

As spaces of heritage, Iziko Museums are an important social conduit for educating people about societal issues, stimulating active citizenship, and acting as catalysts for social change. Now, perhaps more than ever before, Iziko can offer a sense of community; through exhibitions, research, and educational and public programmes – museums are able to cast an eye on the resilience of the human spirit, and come to be a space where we feel connected to each other. While the world is no longer what it once was, Iziko is still a place for all South Africans to gather – be it virtually, or within our physically-distance-friendly museums.

“Our heritage has very important meaning for the world, and for learning, and for understanding the world. And that is something that we have to treasure always.” Text by Ellen Agnew