The Best in Heritage
©
Dubrovnik, Croatia, 27 - 29 September 2012 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EUROPA NOSTRA UNDER SPECIAL PATRONAGE OF ICOM 11TH EDITION
The Best in Heritage
©
DUBROVNIK, 27 - 29 SEPTEMBER 2012
in partnership with Europa Nostra under special patronage of ICOM DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF KENNETH HUDSON OBE, AND GEORGES HENRI RIVIERE 11TH EDITION
Contents
THIS WORK HAS BEEN PUBLISHED WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF ICOM
Programme ...................................................4 What is “The Best in Heritage”? .......................... 8 How ethical debates allow our field to progress .......................................................................... 10 1 > Learning
about the distant past in a permanent exhibition at the GalloRoman Museum .................................................18 GALLO ROMAN MUSEUM (TONGEREN, BELGIUM)
2 > Historic
Building Conservation Programme............................................................22
HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION PROGRAMME - WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM (CHICHESTER, UNITED KNGDOM)
3 > TIM - More than a museum ..........................26 TIM | THE STATE TEXTILE AND INDUSTRY MUSEUM (AUGSBURG, GERMANY) 4 > “Heavens” of Zaonezhie ..................................30 THE FEDERAL STATE BUDGET INSTITUTION "KIZHI STATE OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND ETHNOGRAPHY" (PETROZAVODSK, RUSSIA) 5 > The New Acropolis Museum ........................34 THE NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM (ATHENS, GREECE) 6 > Dragodid.org
– Preserving Dry-Stone Masonry Techniques of Eastern Adriatic .. 38 4 GRADA DRAGODID – PRESERVING DRY-STONE MASONRY TECHNIQUES OF THE EASTERN ADRIATIC (KOMIŽA, CROATIA)
7 > The Intan: An Accidental THE INTAN (SINGAPORE)
Museum ............42
8 > Antwerp
Central Station is linking history and future! ..............................................................46
ISBN 978-953-56836-1-2 A CIP CATALOGUE RECORD FOR THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FROM THE NATIONAL AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARY IN ZAGREB UNDER 815094 ZAGREB, 2012. 2 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
ANTWERP CENTRAL STATION (ANTWERP, BELGIUM)
9 > Why anxiety works ............................................50 NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE (OSLO, NORWAY)
CONTENTS 10 > Paper
Museum: the simultaneity of a museum and an industrial space ............54
MUSEU DO PAPEL (SANTA MARIA DA FEIRA, PORTUGAL) 11 > The
Heritage Conservation Practical Case: Baojiatun Watermill ..........................58
BAOJIATUN WATERMILL IN GUIZHOU PROVINCE (CHINA) 12 > Without
the commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers, there would be no Watersnoodmuseum ..........62
WATERSNOODMUSEUM (OWERKERK, NETHERLANDS)
13 > Museo Torino .......................................................66 MUSEO TORINO (TORINO, ITALY) 14 > A
museum at the place where Swedish aviation was born ..............................................70 SWEDISH AIR FORCE MUSEUM (LINKÖPING, SWEDEN)
15 > Heart for people’s cafes ................................74 HEART FOR PEOPLE'S CAFES, IN FLANDERS AND BRUSSELS (GHENT, BELGIUM)
22 > The
National Archives of Australia – Illuminating the Past and the Digital Future ..................................................................102
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA (CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA) 23 > In
Search of the Canadian Car ................106
"IN SEARCH OF THE CANADIAN CAR" CANADA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM (OTTAWA, CANADA) 24 > Outdoor
art placed in Berlage’s unique 20th century urban design surrounded by Amsterdam School Architecture ....110 ARTZUID – SCULPTURES AND ARCHITECTURE IN AMSTERDAM (AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS)
The Excellence Club................................................115 Exponatec Cologne 2013 ......................................122 The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe ...124 Dubrovnik City Map .................................................130
16 > City of the Dead ..................................................78 MARTELLO MEDIA LTD: GLASNEVIN MUSEUM (DUBLIN, IRELAND) 17 > Love’s Final Theatre ........................................82 MUSEUM OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS (ZAGREB, CROATIA) 18 > Conservation
Of Sumda Chun Gonpa, Leh-Ladakh ..........................................................86
SUMDA CHUN GONPA (LEH, INDIA)
19 > An Approach Philosophy ...............................90 NEUES MUSEUM (BERLIN, GERMANY) 20 > A museum re-born ..........................................94 “BROTHERS AND SISTERS”- STREETMUSEUM, MUSEUM OF LONDON (LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM) 21 > Challenging
Borders for the Love of a Common Heritage............................................98
CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE (SHIPCKA, ALBANIA)
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 3
PROGRAMME
The Programme
> 1st day | Thursday | September 27th arrival, registration, opening 12.00 - 18.45 Registration and two guided tours of the Dubrovnik City walls, Theatre "Marin Držiæ" Lobby START OF THE TOURS AT 13.00 AND AT 16.00
18.50 - 21.00 The Best in Heritage welcome ceremony in the Theatre "Marin Držiæ" MODERATOR: DR. WILLEM DE VOS, ADVISORY BOARD, THE BEST IN HERITAGE
18.50 - 19.00 Mr John Sell, Chairman ADVISORY BOARD, THE BEST IN HERITAGE
19.00 - 19.45
19.45 - 20.00 Professor Tomislav Šola, Director, European Heritage Association: "What is The Best in Heritage?" 20.00 - 21.00 KEY NOTE SPEECH BY Mr Julien Anfruns, Director General, International Council of Museums: "Ethics for the Heritage Sector - How ethical debates allow our field to progress"
21.00 - 23.00 WELCOME PARTY IN SPONZA PALACE, courtesy of the Dubrovnik Archives, Dr. Ivo Venier, Director Offered by European Heritage Association SPECIAL GUEST: MS GORANKA HORJAN, CHAIR, EUROPEAN MUSEUM FORUM
> 2nd day | Friday | 28th September
Ms Sneška Quaedvlieg presentations of awarded projects Mihailoviæ, Secretary General, Europa Nostra; Mr Julien Anfruns, Director General, MORNING SESSION MODERATOR: MS GORANKA HORJAN International Council of Museums; Dr. Andro Vlahušic, Mayor, City of Dubrovnik; 9.30 - 10.00 PROJECT NO.1 Ms Vesna Juriæ Bulatoviæ, Assistant Minister, Gallo-Romeins Museum, Tongeren, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belgium | EUROPEAN MUSEUM FORUM / EUROPEAN Croatia; Mr Joseph Falzon, Parliamentary MUSEUM OF THE YEAR AWARD 2011 Assembly, Council of Europe, Committee 10.00 - 10.30 PROJECT NO.2 on Culture, Science, Education and Media; Historic Building Conservation Programme Mr Simon Molesworth, Chairman, Executive – Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Committee, International National Trusts Chichester, United Kingdom | EUROPEAN UNION Organisation WELCOME SPEECHES
PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD
2011 | EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING (GRAND PRIX) 4 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
PROGRAMME
10.30 - 11.00 PROJECT NO.3 The State Textile and Industry Museum (TIM), Augsburg, Germany | MICHELETTI AWARD
16.00 - 16.30 PROJECT NO.9 Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology and Medicine, Oslo, Norway | NORWEGIAN
2011
MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011
11.00 - 11.30 coffee break
16.30 - 17.00 coffee break
11.30 - 12.00 PROJECT NO.4 The Kizhi State Open-Air Museum of Cultural History and Architecture, Petrozavodsk, Russia | INTERMUSEUM 2011 GRAND
17.00 - 17.30 PROJECT NO.10 Museu do Papel, Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal | BEST PORTUGUESE MUSEUM OF THE YEAR
PRIX
17.30 - 18.00 PROJECT NO.11 Baojiatun Watermill in Guizhou Province, China | UNESCO ASIA-PACIFIC HERITAGE AWARDS FOR
12.00 - 12.30 PROJECT NO.5 New Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece |
2011
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, HONOR AWARD
CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2011 / AWARD OF
12.30 - 13.00 PROJECT NO.6 4 grada Dragodid – Preserving Dry-Stone Masonry Techniques of the Eastern Adriatic, Komiža, Croatia | EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR
EXCELLENCE
18.00 - 18.30 PROJECT NO.12 Watersnoodmuseum, Owerkerk, Netherlands | EUROPEAN MUSEUM FORUM / SILLETTO
CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 -
PRIZE 2011
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING
18.30 - 19.00 PROJECT NO.13 MuseoTorino, Torino, Italy | ICOM ITALIA
13.00 - 15.00 lunch
AWARD FOR BEST COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT
AFTERNOON SESSION MODERATOR: MR JOHN SELL
15.00 - 15.30 PROJECT NO.7 The Intan, Singapore | MUSEUM ROUNDTABLE AWARD FOR BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE 2011
15.30 - 16.00 PROJECT NO.8 Antwerp Central Station, Antwerp, Belgium | EU PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - CONSERVATION (GRAND PRIX)
19.00 - 21.00 free time 21.00 - 23.00 Ethno dinner-party offered by Dubrovnik museums in Rupe Museum GREETING BY THE DIRECTOR OF DUBROVNIK MUSEUMS, MS PAVICA VILAÆ, MA SPECIAL GUEST: MS LILA DE CHAVES, PRESIDENT, HERITAGE & MUSEUMS
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 5
PROGRAMME
> 3rd day | Saturday | 29th September presentations of awarded projects MORNING SESSION MODERATOR: MS ŽELJKA JELAVIÆ
9.30 - 10.00 PROJECT NO.14 Swedish Air Force Museum, Linköping, Sweden | SWEDISH MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011 10.00 - 10.30 PROJECT NO.15 Heart for People's Cafes, in Flanders and Brussels, Ghent, Belgium | EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING
10.30 - 11.00 PROJECT NO.16 Martello Media Ltd: Glasnevin Cemetary Museum, Dublin, Ireland | MUSEUMS+HERITAGE 2011, INTERNATIONAL AWARD & THEA OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2011
11.00 - 11.30 coffee break 11.30 - 12.00 PROJECT NO.17 Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia | EUROPEAN MUSEUM FORUM / KENNETH HUDSON AWARD 2011
12.00 - 12.30 PROJECT NO.18 Sumda Chun Gonpa, Leh, India | UNESCO ASIAPACIFIC HERITAGE AWARDS FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2011 / AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
6 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
12.30 - 13.00 PROJECT NO.19 Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany | EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE / MIES VAN DER ROHE AWARD 2011
13.00 - 15.00 lunch AFTERNOON SESSION MODERATOR: MR DAMODAR FRLAN
15.00 - 15.30 PROJECT NO.20 “Brothers and Sisters”- Streetmuseum, Museum of London, London, UK | AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, JIM BLACKABY INGENUITY AWARD
15.30 - 16.00 PROJECT NO.21 Church of St. George, Shipcka, Albania | EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - CONSERVATION (MEMBERS CHOICE AWARD)
16.00 - 16.30 PROJECT NO.22 National Archives of Australia, Canberra, Australia | UNESCO/JIKJI MEMORY OF THE WORLD PRIZE 2011
16.30 - 17.00 coffee break 17.00 - 17.30 PROJECT NO.23 "In Search of the Canadian Car" Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada | DIBNER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSEUM EXHIBITS 2011
PROGRAMME
> 17.30 - 18.00 PROJECT NO.24 Artzuid – Sculptures and Architecture in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | EU PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011, CONSERVATION
Sunday | 30th September | Post Conference Excursion (ONLY UPON RESERVATION)
The city of Kotor (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Bay of Kotor (Montenegro)
18.00 - 18.30 The keynote speakers' closing panel discussion with audience participation 18.30 - 21.00 free time 21.00 - 22.00 Closing ceremony in Rector's palace, offered by The Best in Heritage and by courtesy of Dubrovnik Museums 22.00 - 00.00 Dinner and farewell party in Rector's palace
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 7
INTRODUCTION
What is “The Best in Heritage”? An annual survey of professional excellence, in brief. For the last eleven years, Dubrovnik is the host to the best practice in museums, heritage and conservation. We give floor to a handpicked choice of the projects awarded in a previous year, nationally or internationally for their outstanding achievement. As well as the juries that have chosen them, we particularly cherish the public side of it. Choosing the best among hundreds of new projects worldwide is an enormous endeavour for the juries and organizations behind it, - with very serious expertise involved and at a very substantial expense. A million Euros? Two million? Hard to say, and probably not important at all. Yet, this is a grandiose effort in evaluation, - to find and praise the best and most successful. Our role is to capitalize this effort further by spreading the quality they have valued so highly.
managers who wish to measure their own achievement the Conference is in fact functioning as a benchmarking tool. Since its beginning the Conference is a story of success. The Best in Heritage is the only conference of this sort in the world, a multidisciplinary and trans-sectorial event able to offer precious experiences, contacts and, above all (to use the word most often mentioned in the evaluation questioners), - inspiration. We are usually about 130 from some 30 countries. Our partnership with Europa Nostra, - the voice of cultural heritage in Europe, supported by the European Commission, is a strategic link between institutional and civil sectors. ICOM has been our main and foremost patron since the very start and this year we have the privilege of ICOM’s special patronage. The City of Dubrovnik and Croatian Ministry of Culture continue their support.
Knowing that globalization cannot be stopped, we thrive on it to spread globally the good news about genuine creativity and professional excellence. The Best in Heritage is not an institution, but a continuous innovative project and a process rather than a finished product. We intend to grow and change, creating yet more facets around this initial But, coming back to superlatives, - is compe- concept. We have already created our first tition legitimate in culture? Culture is about international extension, The Best in Heritage criteria, about evaluation, - not competition. Excellence Club, at Exponatec, Koelnmesse, Correct, but…Selecting "the best", means most probably the best fair for professional employing certain criteria of quality evalua- equipment in heritage, museums and contion. This and the increased public and media servation domain in Europe. visibility is the aim of all awards. Our world is increasingly one of numbers, quantities and Our low budget makes us rely upon a spefrenzy of a superficial change. Therefore, to cific, quality group among professionals: counteract and correct, we are after quality, all English speaking, ICT literate, curious, excellence, inspiration and ideals of a perfect entrepreneurial, ambitious and motivated, profession. We know that perfection is unat- eager to be inspired by the best among us. tainable, - yet, we join others in a strive for We contribute to creating this positive elite. it. For those modern curators and heritage We carefully structure our suggestions to 8 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
We all need an orientation and help when trying to find quality. Internet is an epitome of impenetrable masses of knowledge where one needs guidance to profit from it. The Best in Heritage is such search engine. In addition to our web-site, presentations of laureates can be viewed on YouTube, where we offer all the footage from recent conferences on our channel. With all the information offered, we intend to grow into unavoidable tool for professional training.
pleased with their new reinforcement and welcome Ms Goranka Horjan, Chair of European Museum Forum and Member of ICOM’s Executive Board, as a new member. The organiser expresses thanks to the patrons, all without whom the eleventh edition, like all the previous ones would not have been possible. This year’s team with Ida Marija, Nirvana, Koraljka, Igor, Filip and Siniša is led by Mr Luka Cipek, the project manager. We keep on as a low profile NGO with best possible performance a devoted team can achieve, maintaining the unique atmosphere our participants create.
The Board EUROPEAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION ZAGREB, SEPTEMBER 2012.
The Best in Heritage was made upon the support of the Ministry of Culture of Croatia, UNESCO regional office in Venice, the support we regularly receive from the City of Dubrovnik, the indispensable, collegial one from the Museums of Dubrovnik but also from Croatian National and Dubrovnik Tourist Board. Our patrons recognize our endeavour: ICOM, ICOM Europe, ICOM Croatia, EUROPA NOSTRA, ICOMOS, ICCROM, WFFM, IFLA; Ministry of Culture of Croatia and The City of Dubrovnik. Thus, again, we all join forces in raising the profile and offer more to the converging mega-profession, but linking it also with civil society in a much needed synergy and exchange. All the supporters and patrons granted us generously their stamp of excellence. It is the growing support of all them and many others like Museum Aktuell, that keeps us still going. Many thanks go to the members of the Board, especially to the Chairman Mr. John Sell, the Executive President of Europa Nostra. This year, members of the Board are most THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 9
INTRODUCTION
presenters so that they tell us the most interesting part of their experience. The delegates choose the best presentation which then is rewarded by invitation to Exponatec. Our overall aim is to create inspiration, and forge creative links - the tasks in which the magic of Dubrovnik will undoubtedly help us again.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Ethics for the Heritage Sector How ethical debates allow our field to progress By Julien Anfruns,
DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (ENGLISH EDITING BY SARA HEFT)
Ethics are the basis underlying any consideration of excellence within a given professional sector, although the two must not be equated: as a field for reflection and action, ethics must precede efforts to improve the performance standards and practices that are the barometer of excellence. As new paradigms, tools, technologies and legal frameworks continually emerge, conceptions of ethics necessarily evolve over time to reflect changes within professions, allowing for individuals and institutions to implement relevant quality criteria for the achievement of their missions. The museum and heritage profession is no exception, and as the position of museums and cultural institutions within societies has shifted over the years, 10 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
ethical standards and discourse associated with the heritage field have likewise evolved to respond to new expectations, obstacles and opportunities. Charged with interpreting, creating and framing knowledge, meanings and forms of significance within a given cultural, political or geographical context – in institutions devoted to national narratives, for example, or those of minority communities – museums are perceived as standard-bearers in terms of integrity, responsibility and service to society. Fully assuming this role requires ongoing reflection on the principles guiding professional ethical conduct, in order to inspire the updating of actions and practices to
Moving to the foreground The publication of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums in 1986, four decades after the organisation’s founding, represented a landmark event for the museum and heritage field. Prior to this, it was understood that museums and museum professionals should work in a professional manner, but a clear definition of what this might entail was lacking on an international level, and it was presumed that employment conditions and standards of professional conduct would be regulated from country to country. National codes of museum ethics were adopted over the course of the 20th century, pioneered in by Germany (Deutscher Museumsbund’s Grundsätze über das Verhalten der Mitglieder des Deutschen Museumsbundes gegenüber dem Kunsthandel und dem Publikum, 1918) and the United States (American Association of Museums’ Code of Ethics for Museum Workers, 1925), and continue to be widely-used references in this domain today, alongside the countless institution-specific codes that have been drafted worldwide. ICOM made an initial step in this direction in 1970 with the issuing of a publication entitled Ethics of Acquisition, at a time when discourse on the social responsibility of museums was becoming more preponderant, accompanied by an ever-greater emphasis on cultural diversity and respect for communities. Following several revisions, the latest published version of the comprehensive ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums was published in 2006, clearly defining the responsibilities of individuals in relation to museum operations, and setting out minimum standards of professional practice and performance for museums and their staff. More recently,
Table of contents from the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums PAGE VI
Introduction
BY GEOFFREY LEWIS
ICOM CODE OF ETHICS FOR MUSEUMS PAGE 1 1. MUSEUMS PRESERVE, INTERPRET AND PROMOTE THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL INHERITANCE OF HUMANITY. INSTITUTIONAL STANDING PHYSICAL RESOURCES FINANCIAL RESOURCES PERSONNEL PAGE 3 2. MUSEUMS THAT MAINTAIN COLLECTIONS HOLD THEM IN TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT. ACQUIRING COLLECTIONS REMOVING COLLECTIONS CARE OF COLLECTIONS PAGE 6 3. MUSEUMS HOLD PRIMARY EVIDENCE FOR ESTABLISHING AND FURTHERING KNOWLEDGE. PRIMARY EVIDENCE MUSEUM COLLECTING & RESEARCH PAGE 8 4. MUSEUMS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE APPRECIATION, UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE. DISPLAY AND EXHIBITION OTHER RESOURCES PAGE 9 5. MUSEUMS HOLD RESOURCES THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES AND BENEFITS. IDENTIFICATION SERVICES PAGE 9 6. MUSEUMS WORK IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITIES FROM WHICH THEIR COLLECTIONS ORIGINATE AS WELL AS THOSE THEY SERVE. ORIGIN OF COLLECTIONS RESPECT FOR COMMUNITIES SERVED PAGE 10 7. MUSEUMS OPERATE IN A LEGAL MANNER LEGAL FRAMEWORK PAGE 11 8. MUSEUMS OPERATE IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST PAGE 14
GLOSSARY
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 11
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
adapt to the specific challenges of a changing social, political and ecological environment.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
between 2009 and 2011, two ICOM Interna- protection of cultural heritage – not only in tional Committees – CIMAM (contemporary emergency situations2. art) and NATHIST (natural history) – drafted sets of principles for concerned institutions, The development of illegal trade and the dealing with specificities of their respective awareness of both public opinion and the fields which may be particularly controver- international heritage community have led sial: CIMAM’s code addresses principles of to the multiplication of proposed solutions deaccessioning from museum collections; to deal with such risks. The amount and and NATHIST’s draft code of professional types of legislation affecting museums topractices deals with issues relevant to life day are growing at a rapid pace, to the extent and earth sciences. that professionals may have difficulty keeping up with the latest developments. Rules of acquisitions have grown much stricter in Heritage risks and recent years, for example, in particular as legal frameworks pertains to objects acquired via confiscation The domain of ethics embraces a lengthy or forced sale, or as the result of colonisalist of concerns, from museum manage- tion or war. Alongside the ICOM Code of Ethment and mediation to community involve- ics (which contains several articles dealing ment and human resources. Nevertheless, with legal acquisition and illicit traffic), the in an increasingly globalised context, the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of legal acquisition of cultural goods remains Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, of primary concern for museums and entails Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural a wide range of ethical issues. It is estimated Property, which resulted from extensive dethat every year, the illegal trade of cultural bate in the heritage and scientific fields, and property represents some $6-7bn1. Alerts the complementary UNIDROIT 1995 Conand emergency actions for the preservation vention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Culof cultural heritage in Egypt, Tunisia and tural Objects are potent weapons in the fight Libya have multiplied in the wake of the 2011 against illicit traffic, together enabling the Arab Spring and the conflicts that have over- preservation of cultural heritage and consetaken Syria and Mali in 2012; in Mali, which quently the memory of humankind. However, contains the largest number of archaeologi- as laws and conventions being ratified now cal sites in Africa after Egypt, a recent field cannot be applied retroactively, cases the study of 845 sites found that 45% of them likes of which museums are facing today, had been looted and 17% seriously damaged oftentimes involving lengthy and costly legal even before the turmoil of 2012, highlight- or diplomatic disputes, call for other tools ing the need for continued vigilance for the for action and resolution. Thus, alongside these conventions so vital to key heritage issues, local, national and institutional ethical codes and official stances are reinforced 1 INFORMATION KIT PRODUCED BY THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THE CULTURE SECTOR and complemented by training sessions and OF UNESCO ON THE OCCASION OF THE 40TH workshops, as well as the creation of new ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1970 CONVENTION ON THE MEANS centres for restitution, mediation workshops OF PROHIBITING AND PREVENTING THE ILLICIT IMPORT, EXPORT AND TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF CULTURAL PROPERTY, MARCH 2011, AVAILABLE ONLINE AT HTTP:// UNESDOC.UNESCO.ORG/IMAGES/0019/001916/191606E. PDF.
12 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
2
IBID.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS MAKONDÉ MASK RESTITUTION CEREMONY HELD ON 10 MAY, 2010 IN PARIS, IN THE PRESENCE OF ICOM DIRECTOR GENERAL JULIEN ANFRUNS; PERMANENT SECRETARY AND THE HEAD OF THE LEGAL UNIT OF THE MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND TOURISM OF TANZANIA, DONATIUS M. K. KAMAMBA AND CAROLINE MCHOME; CO-FOUNDER OF THE BARBIER-MUELLER MUSEUMS, MONIQUE BARBIER-MUELLER; AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE BARBIER-MUELLER MUSEUMS, LAURENCE MATTET. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MONIQUE BARBIER-MUELLER, JULIEN ANFRUNS, DONATIUS M. K. KAMAMBA, CONSTANCIA RUGUMAMU, CAROLINE MCHOME. © NADINE AMORIM/ICOM
and other activities designed to promote with the World Intellectual Property Organidialogue and move beyond situations of con- zation (WIPO), and the mediation programme flict. In this context, a mediation strategy has was officially launched in July 2011. In this been developed in order to provide neces- framework, the parties involved may choose sary guidance on mediation procedures that their mediators from a list of more than 120 might be adopted by the parties involved in professionally-trained, independent mediaa dispute under such circumstances, lever- tors provided by ICOM and WIPO. This seraging on ICOM’s own strong track record in vice aims to provide a solution to an ongoing playing the role of mediator, as witnessed in issue for the global heritage community, ofthe restitution of a Makondé mask from the fering members facing disputes an alternaBarbier-Mueller Museum of Geneva to the tive process to solve the litigation, building United Republic of Tanzania in 2010. In May bridges to move beyond situations of dispute, 2011, the organisation signed a partnership which must be only temporary.
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 13
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Museum management
of deaccessioning as pertains to the appropriate use of proceeds from such activities is addressed by the aforementioned CIMAM code of ethics, drafted “in the light of some controversial announcements regarding the selling of art from museums collections and the closing of institutions to strengthen finances”.
Beyond such situations of conflict, the daily functioning of museums entails a number of ethics-related issues related to the durability of collections, their care and use, in order to ensure accountability and transparency – notably in terms of financial management policies and strategies. The context of economic crisis worldwide that has led to a Focus on community wave of budget cuts in many countries has raised further tensions for museums in this Hand in hand with questions of legality and domain: as governmental allocations for cul- professional conduct for museum profestural institutions and initiatives have shrunk sionals, as activities being undertaken by in a number of different national contexts, museums diversify and an increasingly museums are facing increasing financial wide public of visitors is attracted, standprecariousness and dependence on alterna- ards concerning the internal running and tive sources of support. Simultaneously, op- institutional management of museums are erating costs linked to the conservation and counterbalanced by more directly outwardpreservation of collections, security and fa- looking roles and missions – notably, that of cilities, educational programming and other dialoguing with society at large, as well as services for the public are on the rise. The with the various communities woven into its ensuing pressure to be financially sustain- fabric. The conception of museums as soable oftentimes forces reductions in operat- cially responsible institutions, advocates for ing budgets and human resources, despite communities, is not a historical given but the growing needs of museums. Public and emblematic of changes that have emerged in private sector donations and sponsorship, recent decades. The founding of the Federaalongside ever-greater earned income fig- tion of International Human Rights Museums ures from entrance fees, museums shops (FIHRM) in 2010 was a forceful step in this and restaurants, etc., are banked upon to direction, calling on member museums to swell revenues in the face of slashed public embrace diversity in unprecedented manner, subsidies and overall tighter budgets. relinquishing a neutral stance to explicitly speak up for minority and oppressed groups. Collections management is an integral aspect of any general institutional financial While such a position may not be held by strategy, pertaining to object acquisitions all, for museums worldwide, the promotion and disposals, and creative new ways of gen- and perpetuation of respect for and cooperaerating sources of financing are now emerg- tion with their surrounding environments is ing – via crowdfunding, for example, as with fundamental to the carrying out of their misthe Louvre’s 2011 acquisition of Lucas Cra- sions. Such representation is intrinsically nach’s The Three Graces. Meanwhile, deac- linked with the question of accessibility, incessioning, or the selling of assets, figures clusiveness and tolerance; it comes about among the options for museums to generate by ensuring that collections are open to the revenue – but is a controversial topic clouded widest number possible, and encouraging by ambiguity in terms of ethical correctness direct interactions with visitors and commuin a context of economic pressure. The ethics nity members in order to fulfil museum mis14 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
KEYNOTE ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY 2012 AT THE NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM, PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA. THIS ANNUAL EVENT STRIVES TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSEUMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY. ©NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM
ber of contexts, in response to displays of religious art or objects, contemporary art weaving in religious iconography, works with sexual content and more, which are not neatly accepted across the board by societies reconciling disparate cultural identities, Censorship and solidarity practices and belief systems. The threats Likewise, community members are called to cultural heritage associated with the upon to be advocates of museums, defend- Arab Spring have also sparked off threats ers of exhibition programmes – when insti- to contemporary artworks: at the 2012 editutions are faced with attacks or threats of tion of Art Dubai, the Middle East’s largest censorship, for example. In such contexts, art fair, works by Palestinian artist Shadi Al the notion of community can encompass Zaqzouq and Moroccan artist Zakaria Ramthe local, global, and virtual alike, as new hani, both depicting female protestors and technologies give weight to Netizen voices using women’s underwear to comment upon worldwide. Attempts to control or contest the Egyptian revolution, were removed from the content of exhibitions arise in any num- the exhibition. There is no shortage of other sions of raising awareness and educating, promoting culturally and environmentally respectful behaviours, and generally striving to be actors in favour of sustainability.
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 15
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
recent examples of censorship, stirring up continued ethical debates, as in 2010, when a work in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture sparked off intense controversy from the Catholic League and conservative American politicians: David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly”, which includes footage of ants crawling on a crucifix, was ultimately removed by the museum, threatened with budget cuts by members of U.S. Congress. In response, hundreds of museums, galleries and cultural institutions around the world staged protests, discussions and screenings of the artist’s work in a strong display of support to the stifled museum.
Authority in question Institutions displaying objects and artefacts of indigenous communities are also confronted with an array of ethical concerns stemming from questions of legitimate authority to handle and interpret what may be sensitive or even sacred cultural objects. This complex debate is intrinsically tied to the question of intangible cultural heritage, which gained visibility in recent years with the adoption of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, defined in this text as “the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills [and the] instruments, objects and cultural spaces associated therewith [...] constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, [providing] them with a sense of identity and continuity, [...] promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity” (article 2.1). Reflection on proper ways of displaying or performing such cultural expressions is expanding the scope of museological thought and challenging traditional western museum models, as the rights and interests 16 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
of indigenous communities are being taken into account in the presentation of their own symbols and traditions. Such models of empowerment have gained consensus on the museum landscape in recent years: the U.S. National Museum of the American Indian, for example, which opened its doors in 2004, strives to break with what founding director W. Richard West Jr. called a “historically conventional approach of interpreting and representing Native cultures and communities from third-party viewpoints”, instead acting to bring “first-person Native voices” forward as the consultants, educators, curators and conversationalists that make the museum tick3. The effort to restore authority to communities that have been deprived of the right to present their own objects grows particularly sensitive when it comes to the question of human remains, bearing ethical as well as scientific implications that capture media attention on a regular basis. In early 2012, twenty toi moko (sacred human remains of Maori origin) were repatriated by France to New Zealand, which since 1992 has been calling for countries around the world that acquired these relics over the course of the colonial era to do the same, in order to be able to provide them with a traditional Maori burial ceremony. France’s restitution came in the wake of four years of debate and the voting of a law by authorities allowing for this action – illustrating the particularly fraught nature of such debates within contemporary society when the questions of legitimate historical and cultural narration straddle borders.
3
IN REMARKS PRESENTED ON 9 SEPTEMBER, 2004 AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, WASHINGTON, DC, ENTITLED “THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN: A HISTORICAL RECKONING”, AVAILABLE ON THE MUSEUM’S WEBSITE, HTTP://NMAI.SI.EDU.
real and virtual – to museums around the globe; this has gone hand in hand with the development of more elaborate, creative and interactive programming, with new forms of storytelling and sharing via digital technologies woven into exhibitions and institutional strategies, helping expand the reach of museums within society, and providing abundant new examples of excellence in heritage. The resources available for such undertakings fluctuate from museum to museum and country to country, at times limiting the feasibility for institutions to undertake or implement innovative activities looked to as examples to emulate; however, regardless of available means and material challenges, all actors on the museum and heritage landscape may strive to shape and respect the exemplary ethical standards that are the necessary first step toward excellence, and are solicited to contribute to this vital ongoing conversation.
The expansion of the general position of museum ethics within society reveals the importance and desirability of continually updating ethical standards in order to properly address concerns linked with current events and shifting heritage landscapes, while ensuring relevancy on the enduring issues as well. The impetus to do so must emerge from throughout our heterogeneous field in order to best reflect the needs of professionals from all corners of the landscape. Furthermore, museum ethics – as a timely issue and the subject of an ongoing educational effort that fits into a growing trend in recent years – are increasingly a matter of interest well beyond the borders of the community of heritage professionals alone. The rules and regulations that apply to cultural institutions are garnering media attention worldwide for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which are the increase in visitor numbers – both THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 17
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
The solid, reciprocal relationship between public and institution so vital to the sustainability of heritage calls for communities’ commitment to and involvement in managing their own heritage. It is an ethical imperative to uphold respect between museums and community on a general level, ensuring that cultural diversity is maintained and that museums uphold their mission of reflecting and preserving the cultural and natural, tangible and intangible heritage of the communities from which they are derived. Museums around the world connect with the communities that they seek to represent in any number of ways, and recognise their failure to adequately (continue to) represent distant communities with varying degrees of ease. As populations increasingly strive to appropriate their own tangible and intangible heritage, museums must likewise display sensitivity and respect in displaying and depicting these artefacts and traditions, adapting to respond to the evolving ethical stakes in thoughtful and responsible fashion.
Learning about the distant past in a permanent exhibition at the Gallo-Roman Museum
GALLO ROMAN MUSEUM (TONGEREN, BELGIUM) EUROPEAN MUSEUM FORUM / EUROPEAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR AWARD 2011
Carmen Willems DIRECTOR ≥ GALLO ROMAN MUSEUM KIELENSTRAAT 15 3700 TONGEREN BELGIUM ≥ GRM@LIMBURG.BE CWILLEMS@LIMBURG.BE WWW.GALLOROMEINSMUSEUM.BE 18 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
1.
Description of project The Gallo-Roman Museum is owned by the Province of Limburg (part of Flanders, Belgium) and is located in the centre of Tongeren, the country’s oldest city. The museum reopened in May 2009 after three years spent renovating the existing museum building and adding a new wing. Designed by architects De Gregorio & Partners, the new building is cleverly integrated into the old heart of the city, while the architectural concept and the chosen materials reinforce the city’s identity. This part of the city was opened up by means of a new footpath around the Basilica of Our Lady and a museum square constructed behind the Basilica. So as well as being an important museum project, the new museum was also an inspirational urban project. This powerful, sober building with a floor area of 12,600 m² hopes to attract an average of 150,000 visitors a year. THE CONTENT. The project is certainly not just about bricks and mortar. On May 21st 2009 we also unveiled a completely new permanent exhibition and it is this part of the project we wish to present here. THE BUILDING.
So emphasis is given to the relationship between cause and effect; hence our motto: “What follows is always organically related to what went before” (Marcus Aurelius / 121 – 180 AD). The exhibition focuses on the history of the region we now call Limburg and on all aspects of that history: politics, culture, climate, daily life, etc. At the same time we make it clear that developments in this small geographical area are inextricably linked to evolution in a wider, largely European context. We also endeavour to give people some understanding of archaeological science and make them aware that there are limits to what we know about the distant past. Finally, we hope that by presenting the subject matter in an attractive manner people will come to recognize and appreciate the importance of our cultural heritage.
Strategy for implementation
PERIOD: 2002 – MAY 2005. First came the long phase of concept development during which museum staff systematically consulted specialist literature, visited other museums, analysed the strengths and weaknesses of the previous presentation and formulated objectives. It had been established that the Overall objective of the project museum should provide a permanent exhiFirst and foremost we were keen that the bition where visitors could learn something, permanent exhibition should provide a which respected the chronology and allowed pleasant environment for people with vary- the intrinsic story to take precedence. While ing degrees of knowledge to learn something we do see the objects in the collection as the about the past. While the core collection is most important medium for putting across Gallo-Roman, we also have a valuable col- the subject matter, they are only ever media lection of prehistoric artefacts. This enabled and never the central focus. We use other us to formulate our objective of giving visi- media (films, texts, figures, etc.) to inform tors insight into societies in the distant past, visitors about episodes we cannot illustrate starting from more than 500,000 years ago with the items in the collection. through to the early Middle Ages around 500 PERIOD: MAY 2005 – END 2006. In developing the AD. A second objective was to help people preliminary concept, we were assisted by understand that a society does not function Event Communications, London. This deas it does by chance. There are reasons why sign company helped us articulate the cona society is what it is at a particular time, why tent and narrative by dividing the continuous people do what they do and are who they are. and chronologically written scientific story THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 19
into manageable exhibition clusters. The company also helped us select the most appropriate media. However, rather than relying purely on our combined expertise when developing an exhibition concept, we also took into account the findings of our market research. We had asked our (potential) public if, what and how they wanted to learn in an archaeological museum like ours. So the design process took account of the wishes, expectations and varying degrees of knowledge of several visitor groups: ‘those looking for information through observation, ‘those looking for a socio-active experience’ and ‘those looking for an auto-active experience’. PERIOD: FEBRUARY 2007 – MARCH 2008. Once the preliminary concept had been developed, work on the final concept and design process could begin. We appointed set designer Niek Kortekaas and Alfredo De Gregorio’s firm of architects. It then took more than a year to develop a final concept, integrate concept and content into a clearly legible design and to draw up the plans. PERIOD: SUMMER 2008 – MAY 2009. The plans were executed in a very short space of time. We worked with a number of specialized agencies (graphic artists, model-builders, draughtsmen, audiovisual studio, etc.), all true experts in their field.
Method deployed We bring the distant past to life with 2,200 authentic exhibits, including many ‘perfectly ordinary’ utility objects. The items are presented in large, open, convivial spaces. Despite the numerous objects on show, the display cases are never crowded. The occasional free-standing display, without glass, is used to show larger architectural fragments, tombstones and idols to their best advantage. LAYER1. There is a clear ‘path’ through the galleries. The most important facts are formulated succinctly along the way. The ‘path’ is interrupted four times by a gigantic synthetic 20 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
object. As well as being eye-catching, these objects also serve as ‘stop signs’, prompting visitors to pause at four crucial transition points: 500,000 years ago - first people, first culture; 5300 BC - the new agricultural society; 825 BC - the development of a stratified society with Celtic features; 10 BC - the romanizing of the region. LAYER2. The exhibition deploys a variety of media. For example, the clear, jargon-free texts are constructed newspaper-style with headline, lead and body. Several touch tables have also been integrated into the presentation. Atmospheric drawings are used to clarify specific points. The many educational films, demonstrating for example a specific technology, were specially made for this exhibition and have proved a great draw. The moving prints and interactives for children, immediately recognizable by their format, have proved very successful. The displays also feature unambiguous, life-size synthetic figures. As a result, sometimes complex material becomes accessible not only to the classic museum visitor, but also to people sensitive to atmosphere looking to empathize with the distant past, and to children looking for ‘an experience’. Moreover, we regularly use what we call the ‘train of thought’ approach. We ask a question about which there is scientific uncertainty and then present several accepted hypotheses. LAYER3. Maps play a key role in these zones. They show visitors which cultural area Limburg belonged to in a specific period (graphics). Animated maps (video) are used to present external influences such as the arrival of the first people, the emergence of the first farmers or the growth of the Roman Empire. In other words, in terms of the media used, the exhibition concept is structured, layered and diverse so as to meet the needs of various target groups.
Outcome
to pupils studying technical subjects. With this device they can explore the permanent exhibition independently in small groups. NOW. Between May 20th 2009 and May 2012 more than 300,000 people visited the per- And we plan to implement a serious game manent exhibition. Judging by the spontane- for adults groups in 2013. We also have an ous reactions recorded in a book on leaving on-going programme of lectures and several the museum, the feedback has been largely times a year we organize worthwhile events, positive. Interestingly, it is not only those sometimes outside the walls of the museum. with little prior knowledge of the subject and These services to the public are of course alschoolchildren who find the exhibition fas- ways scientifically based. cinating and attractive but also amateur archaeologists and scientists. Various newspa- Creativity and originality per articles have commended the museum both for its new architecture and its clear, First and foremost, the new permanent exeducational presentation. hibition can claim to be reliable and educational. In an age when everything seems to NEAR FUTURE. The museum is to carry out quantitative research to obtain scientifically- revolve around ‘fun’, going all out for a sound based evaluations with a view to making ad- and properly considered didactic approach justments to the permanent exhibition. Still requires a degree of courage. The design is in the pipeline is the improvement/finaliza- contemporary and full of surprises. One of tion of information for French, German and the characteristics is unity in diversity. To English-speaking visitors (10% of our public). prevent museum weariness setting in, each The temporary versions of the visitor guide of the galleries has a character and face of and films currently in use will be replaced its own while being part of the same family. by a finalized version in various languages. The choice of coarse materials echoes the There are also plans to fine-tune the signage architecture of the building. Much originality also went into the stratified presentation and in the building. into the diversity of media whilst carefully FUTURE. Every year we organize a temporary exhibition that ties in with the permanent avoiding the ‘theme park effect’. collection for which quality items are loaned from museums abroad. From November 2011 till Juin 2012 we presented the first retrospective exhibition about the extraordinary archaeological site Sagalassos in Turkey (WWW.SAGALASSOS.BE) in association with the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL). This exhibition attracted more than 130.000 visitors. We will also continue to work systematically on various programmes for schoolchildren, particularly the 10-14 age group: interactive guided tours, workshops and educational walks. They also link up with the permanent exhibition. For example, several years ago we started developing a game on a palm hand-held computer (PDA) for children aged between 12 and 14, which is also attractive THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 21
2. HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION PROGRAMME - WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM (CHICHESTER, UNITED KNGDOM) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING (GRAND PRIX)
Diana Rowsell HEAD OF LEARNING ≥ WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM SINGLETON CHICHESTER WEST SUSSEX P018 0EU UNITED KINGDOM ≥ HEADOFLEARNING@WEALDDOWN.CO.UK WWW.WEALDDOWN.CO.UK 22 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
Historic Building Conservation Programme
Our Museum: its origins The tradition of open air museums in the UK is rooted in building conservation; in the preservation of historic, vernacular dwellings, agricultural buildings and places of work. The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum was founded by Roy Armstrong, a visionary educator with a passion for teaching ordinary folk about the importance of their built heritage. Roy and other like-minded people cited the bonfires of medieval timberframed buildings that they witnessed in the 1960s, and which were created in the cause of improved roads, town development, the creation of a reservoir and general dereliction, as the key issue that persuaded them that a museum of rescued vernacular buildings of the South East region of England was necessary. Vernacular buildings suffered gross neglect and these pioneers shared an appreciation of why the context of lower status buildings as well as castles and cathedrals is vital for our cultural heritage. Their
enterprise resulted in setting up a charitable educational trust, and the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum first opened to the public in 1970. From its inception over 40 years ago, the Museum has offered formal and informal learning opportunities dedicated to creating the next generation of skilled personnel for historic building conservation, while involving the wider public and a large number of volunteers through an inspirational learning environment. The use of the Museum’s authentic rescued historic buildings as learning aids is key to the success of the courses.
Our Museum: today There are now 50 historic buildings re-erected on the 20 hectare site, which provides a place of enjoyment and learning for the public and for students. None of our buildings had any future in their original sites. Understanding and conserving timber frames, and other associated building materials, became the central theme to the building conservation programme that has been developed at the Museum. The aims of the Historic Building Conservation programme are reflected in one of the four points of the Museums’ mission statement: ‘to provide lifelong learning based on the museum’s collections and other resources’. This theme fosters the philosophy of conservation, that historic fabric is important, that humble buildings have a social value, and that sensitive approaches to repair, quality and honesty in those repairs is vital. As part of the Museum’s 40 year celebrations a conference entitled ‘Building Conservation comes of Age’ took place; this brought together many pioneers of the building conservation movement from the UK and abroad with younger experts who are shaping the discussions today.
Lifelong learning Learning is a core activity of the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum which has a THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 23
≥ SITE PANORAMAS AUTUMN SHOT FROM TOLL COTTAGE
In 2011 our museum of reconstructed historic buildings was honoured with a European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award in the Education, Training and Awareness-raising category and we were delighted to receive the Grand Prix. The jury, composed of independent experts from across Europe, commented that our award had been granted for the “exemplary initiative and long standing commitment of the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum in creating a centre of training in historic building conservation”. We were very pleased to have our training programme recognised on an international level, and proud of the practical role the Museum plays in sharing knowledge and skills from our inspiring site. The Museum hosted its own local ceremony to celebrate this Award in October 2011, as part of its annual conference for conservation professionals entitled ‘Seeing is Believing: Falsehoods in Architecture’.
GRIDSHELL BUILDING WHERE MANY OF THE PRACTICAL COURSES TAKE PLACE
long-established programme of training in many aspects of historic building conservation. The Museum provides a unique forum to bring expert practitioners and learners of all ages and backgrounds together in a setting where the exhibit buildings illustrate the points to be learnt. The Museum has always been a place where knowledge is shared. The programme started small; in 1998 there were a mere 150 student days of learning delivered. By 2011 we had grown ten-fold with around 1,500 days of student training in building conservation. We offer practical workshops in a wide range of topics, including timber framing, repair of historic brickwork, the use of lime and other issues in building conservation as well as teaching the theory and history which provide the underpinning knowledge of the subjects. Students benefit from small group sizes, (typically 6 or 8 people for practical courses and 12 or 15 for lecture based days) which facilitates quality interactions with the tutor. Through 24 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
minimising fees and offering bursaries we enable people from all walks of life to benefit from this specialist training. We also teach two Masters level degree programmes, in Building Conservation and Timber Building Conservation, validated by the University of York. As on the short courses, tutors are leading building conservation professionals and master craftspeople; all are practitioners in their respective fields, generous with their knowledge and share a gift for teaching. The scope of learning opportunities addresses a variety of needs. We aim to be responsive to current needs and offer bespoke training to a range of organisations. Several qualities make this programme outstanding in the European context: firstly that the learning has been interwoven into a core function of the museum; training started here at a time when very little existed elsewhere. The on-going nature of the project and the fact that it is self-funding means that
on site is a tin church, which was opened to the public in April 2011. Our own curatorial team undertook all the conservation work in the Downland Gridshell workshop. Another modern addition to the Museum is the Building Crafts Gallery, a very useful new room which is lined with panels displaying the tools and materials of many different craftspeople. These recent additions emphasise the fact that the Museum is looking forward to the next forty years of continuing to champion the cause of historic vernacular buildings. In September 2012 the frame of Tindalls Cottage, an early eighteenth century cottage, was raised on the Museum site: this cottage The future fills a gap in the chronological series of doIn 2002 the Museum built an award-win- mestic buildings in the collection. The Muning modern conservation workshop, the seum will use the learning opportunities that Downland Gridshell. This revolutionised the these additional buildings provide, weaving scope of the building conservation training the stories of the buildings, the techniques programme, in addition to enabling the Mu- of their construction, the materials used, and seum to undertake large scale conservation the conservation work required to look after projects in a purpose built space. The lat- them, into its award-winning training proest addition to our historic building exhibits gramme. TIMBER FRAMING COURSE TAKING PLACE IN THE JERWOOD GRIDSHELL SPACE
there is stability within the programme, a sense of continuity where participants know that they can contact the Museum or their tutors for advice informally after any course. Students can be confident in the standard of training they receive and the ability to return when time and finances allow to attend further courses to extend their knowledge. In addition, they can be confident that new developments, new research, new regulations, modern engineering solutions and energy conservation issues in conservation will be addressed.
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TIM - More than a museum TIM | THE STATE TEXTILE AND INDUSTRY MUSEUM (AUGSBURG, GERMANY) MICHELETTI AWARD 2011
Dr Karl Borromäus Murr DIRECTOR
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≥ THE STATE TEXTILE AND INDUSTRY MUSEUM AUGSBURGER KAMMGARNSPINNEREI PROVINOSTRASSE 46 86153 AUGSBURG GERMANY ≥ KARL.MURR@TIM.BAYERN.DE WWW.TIMBAYERN.DE
20 January 2010 saw the opening of the State Textile and Industry Museum (TIM) in the South German city of Augsburg, which historically ranked among the most important textile manufacturing locations in Europe. The museum hosted more than 250.000 visitors in its first two years. Its theme is the eventful history of the textile industry in Bavaria, encompassing the trans-national, European and global scope of its network integration. The museum is housed in the historical halls of a former spinning mill, founded in 1836. The rooms were meticulously redesigned by the Austrian architect Klaus Kada from Graz for use as exhibition spaces.
TIM for Kids The TIM provides an extra museum area especially for children. This gives the opportunity to learn about various different textile techniques in their very own pedagogical museum room. Both children and adults can be active at several interactive stations: examining textile raw materials under a microscope, or trying out various spinning, weaving, knitting and printing techniques.
European Dimensions of the TIM
Although the content of the TIM concentrates on the region of Bavaria, the transnational, European and worldwide network integration of the textile industry here plays a central role in the exhibition. Raw material Three routes lead the visitor around the imports came from Italy, Egypt, India, Auscircuit of the permanent exhibition, which tralia or the USA, while finished products also can be experienced interactively at nu- were mostly exported all over Europe. The merous points. The first route explores the German “economic miracle” of the 1950ies textile production process: from the raw saw thousands of so-called „guest workers“ textile fibres, the spinning, weaving and re- immigrating to Germany from Italy, Spain, fining stages, right up to the fully tailored Portugal, Greece, the former Yugoslavia and item of clothing. In a second route, the TIM Turkey, many of whom also worked in the tells the story of the people involved in the many textile factories. Today, the descendtextile industry, namely the workers and the ants of these „guest workers“ are among entrepreneurs whose lives were shaped by the welcome guests of the museum, most the rhythm of the machines from the nine- of whom are offered a guide in their native teenth century onwards. The focus here is on language. the economic, social, political and cultural aspects of work in the textile industry. The Innovative Aspects of the TIM masterpiece of the museum is the pattern book collection of the New Augsburg Calico Alongside its classical museum features, Factory, which is covered by a third route the TIM is breaking innovative new ground in through the museum circuit. The collection many ways. An important aspect of this is a contains more than 1.3 million printed fab- broader understanding of the term „history“, ric patterns originating from between 1780 which involves a continual confrontation with and 1990. The TIM, in cooperation with the the present. The concept of a living museum internationally renowned Atelier Brückner is an essential part of the TIM programme. (Stuttgart, Germany), has revived the pat- In the textile machine section, former textile terns upon giant-sized female figures. These workers demonstrate the machines with an interactive beauties allow the visitors to be- authenticity not to be found elsewhere. Since come their very own designers. the museum’s own weaving machines are THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 27
≥ PHOTO BY VOLKER MAI
The TIM and its Permanent Exhibition
PHOTO BY VOLKER MAI
all capable of producing material, they are available to designers who use them to produce exclusive limited edition lines. The TIM is currently cooperating with a local eco-textile label, which very successfully produces organic clothing with individual designs. The TIM also cooperates with a number of fashion schools, with the museum’s own catwalk providing a public forum for the latest collections. With its special event spaces, the TIM is in a position to function as a cultural centre over and above its primary role as a museum. The Augsburg Municipal Theatre worked together with the TIM to produce a very successful documentary play about the decline of the municipal textile industry, which is performed regularly on our premises. The TIM also functions as a stage for poetry readings, contemporary music, or jazz and blues concerts. Private enterprises, too,
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make use of the TIM as a venue for company meetings, conferences etc. Since its opening the museum has won several national and international awards like the Luigi Micheletti Award 2011, an if Gold Award 2011, an Cannes Lion 2011, Annual Multimedia 2011 and Silver Winner 2011 (Art Directors Club Germany).
PHOTO BY VOLKER MAI THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 29
4.
“Heavens” of Zaonezhie THE FEDERAL STATE BUDGET INSTITUTION "KIZHI STATE OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND ETHNOGRAPHY" (PETROZAVODSK, RUSSIA) INTERMUSEUM 2011 GRAND PRIX
Olga Titova DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT AND EXHIBITION ACTIVITIES ≥ KIZHI STATE OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND ETHNOGRAPHY 10A, KIROV SQ. PETROZAVODSK REPUBLIC OF KARELIA RUSSIA, 185000 ≥ MUSEUM@KIZHI.KARELIA.RU OLGA@KIZHI.KARELIA.RU KIZHI.KARELIA.RU
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The gem of the museum’s collection is the Kizhi architectural ensemble. In 1990 the architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1993 by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation it was listed in the State Code of Most Valuable Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation. Implementation of the unique restoration project of the Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior has been launched recently.
relia and the Russian North in general. Every year the museum represents its best projects at the most important museum event in Russia and one of the world biggest museums’ forums – the festival “Intermuseum”. The museum projects have been awarded in different categories several times. In 2011 XIII festival “Intermuseum” was held. According to the results of the work the museum “Kizhi” received Grand Prix and was recognized as the best museum of the year in Russia. The museum proposed projects for all 3 categories of the festival. These are the projects: “Complex protection of the objects of Kizhi Pogost”, “Kizhanka – the boat of the island of Kizhi”, “Folk feast and Kizhi souvenirs”. The museum projects represented the protection of the immovable monuments, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Also the projects described the scientific, expositional, exhibition and presentation activities of the museum as well as its social work. We think that the museum received this award for many years’ success in the main fields of its activity – restoration, excursion, archival, ethnographical, educative etc.
The Kizhi Museum is located on the Island of Kizhi. The island and its surroundings have been always a truly blessed area with amazing nature, wealthy culture and a special microclimate. Since ancient times Kizhi Island has been the center of peasant life for numerous neighboring villages. It has not lost Significant presentation and exhibition, education and information projects are impleits position up till now. mented every year, a lot of them get into Careful attitude to the world helped to pre- the interregional and international levels. serve the world famous monuments of The museum realizes dynamic work in the wooden architecture, crafts and folklore tra- sphere of cross border co-operation with ditions up to our time. Today the Kizhi Muse- Finland, implementing several joint projects. um is the center of studying of tangible and In 2011 the project “Heavens” of Zaonezhie”, intangible heritage of Zaonezhie that works having passed a rigorous selection, entered closely with the local community. Hundreds into the official program of the Year of Rusof thousands of tourists from all over the sian Culture and Russian Language in Italy. world come to visit the museum where mon- It was definitely a major victory for the Kizhi uments of world significance are kept. It has Museum and a significant event for the probeen rightfully considered a center of inter- motion of culture of the Russian North. national tourism for a long time. We present you the project of the Kizhi MuBeing a visiting card of the Republic of Kare- seum “”Heavens” of Zaonezhie”. lia, the Kizhi Museum does a great job of promoting historical and cultural heritage of Ka- Along with the monuments of architecture THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 31
≥ THE KIZHI ARCHITECTURAL ENSEMBLE
In 2011 the Kizhi Museum celebrated its 45th anniversary. The museum can be considered quite young but it has come a long way over these years. Now it is the State Museum of History, Architecture and Ethnography of federal significance. It has the highest legal, cultural and social status.
THE COMPOSITIONAL SCHEME OF THE “HEAVEN” CEILING OF THE CHAPEL IN HONOR OF THE ASSUMPTION FROM THE VILLAGE OF VASILIEVO, KIZHI
THE CHAPEL IN THE NAME OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL FROM THE VILLAGE OF LELIKOZERO. THE LAST THIRD OF THE XVII CENTURY
inscribed on the UNESCO list (the monuments of the Russian wooden architecture on Kizhi Island). Yet the collection was little known and practically was not exhibited previously. The subject matter of icon painting is very difficult and complicated for most people. The objective of the project was to attract attention and interest to the ceiling painting of wooden churches of Karelia and make it intelligible not only to specialists and experts but to the general public. Thus, in 2008 the history of this project started. Its implementation was made possible thanks to the grant support of the “Severstal” company within the program “Museums of the Russian North”. The authors of the project are Olga Titova and Galina Frolova. The project was implemented in two main areas: research and presentation. THE RESEARCH AREA of the project included the restoration and detailed attribution of icons, photofixation and collection of the materials about the Kizhi Museum’s icons and icons from the Church of the Assumption in Kondopoga. For a long time, researchers have treated ceiling icons as construction details the museum holds a significant collection of of a church that do not deserve any special artifacts demonstrating centuries-old cul- attention and they were lost frequently. Toture and the wealthy history of Karelia. The day the Northern “heavens” are attracting museum’s collections account to nearly 50 an increasing interest and there is a growing thousands items. The collection of ancient demand for their exhibition. The implemenRussian painting has a significant place in tation of the project has provided a complete the funds of the Kizhi Museum, it comprises picture of the existing collection of ceiling a unique collection of ceiling paintings that icons in the Kizhi Museum and gives an idea includes 190 icons. The icons were writ- of the interior decoration development of a ten in XVII-XIX centuries for churches and church in Karelia. This research is of great chapels located along Lake Onega’s shores. scientific value and is of interest for both The greatest part of them comes from the specialists and the general public. churches of Zaonezhie. THE PRESENTATION AREA of the project includCeiling icons of northern churches are com- ed realization of a diverse set of products parable in importance to the objects of the that comprehensively represent the unique cultural heritage of the Russian Federation, collection of ceiling paintings of Karelian 32 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
churches to different target audiences. Traditional forms of icons exposure in exhibition halls do not allow visitors to get a complete understanding of ceiling icons of northern churches. One can solve these problems using different forms of presentation including modern information technologies. As a consequence of the work done, a complex, complicated project has been carried out, which resulted in production of a multimedia CD, an unusual book, a large internet project, a souvenir cut-out model and also an exhibition as a form of presentation of the work performed and reconstruction of a piece of the virtual world in the real space. All parts of this project are aimed at different target audiences and comprehensively represent the unique heritage of the Russian North to the general public. It became possible only within this project to cover the topic more fully and clearly, to tell about the unique structures and to recreate the world of images of northern “heavens”.
In 2010 the exhibition together with other parts of the project was invited and displayed at the Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg. The exhibition was displayed at the museum of Palazzo de Lieto, Maratea. The project “Heavens” of Zaonezhie” brought together a large number of partners from Russia and Italy. The Russian North has played a significant role in the Russian history. Icons of the Russian North have maintained the best traditions of philosophy and cultural foundations of ancient Russia. The project has presented the cultural heritage of the Russian North and Zaonezhie (the unique territory of the Russian North that has preserved magnificent examples of ceiling painting) to both Russian and foreign audiences.
Active project work has developed a broad network of partners at various levels: local, regional and nationwide. There have been realized several large international projects. Journalists from different countries and variSpecialists in different areas of activity were ous experts come to us to exchange the exinvolved in the project work: experts in Old perience. The process of restoration of the Russian painting and restorers, program- Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior mers and designers, the Exhibition Center can also be called an international project as it involves foreign experts from different and Publishing Center employees. countries. The museum has successfully The implementation of the large project that worked with both Russian and foreign founcombined innovative interactive technolo- dations and grant programs. Today, one can gies, new technologies of information pro- talk about the Kizhi Museum as about a mumotion and different presentation forms was seum open to the world. intended to promote the unique collection of ceiling icons of northern churches and the image of the Kizhi Museum as a modern cultural institution that meets the requirements of time and is opened to the society. THE KIZHI OPEN AIR MUSEUM THANKS THE “SEVERSTAL”
The project life cycle was not finished upon the completion of the grant program. It was continued in subsequent years confirming its relevance and importance.
JSC AND THE CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION (CAF) FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT “”HEAVENS” OF ZAONEZHIE”.
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5.
The New Acropolis Museum THE NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM (ATHENS, GREECE) AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, HONOR AWARD 2011
Michael Photiadis ARCHITECT, PROJECT ASSOCIATE OF BERNARD TSCHUMI ARCHITECTS (NEW YORK, PARIS) ≥ ACROPOLIS MUSEUM 15 DIONYSIOU AREOPAGITOU STREET, ATHENS 11742 GREECE ≥ INFO@THEACROPOLISMUSEUM.GR WWW.THEACROPOLISMUSEUM.GR MICHAEL PHOTIADIS ACCOCIATE ARCHITECTS 10 ANEMON ST. DRAFI P.O. BOX 67483, PALLINI ATHENS 15302 GREECE ≥ MICHAEL@PHOTIADIS.GR WWW.PHOTIADIS.GR
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> The
building’s plan fits the site while the archeological elements are not an overstatement competing with the Acropolis. > Not a light building, but very contextual and powerfully respectful of the urban fabric of Athens while doing a dance around the ruins. > The sculpture from the old museum is much more dramatic than in the old setting with the screen walls and slab edges remaining contextual to the neighborhood and city. For the New Acropolis Museum’s fourth International competition we won the first award and commission in September 2001. Although I was Bernard Tschumi’s project associate architect, I had already taken part in the Museum’s previous International com-
The decision for the construction of the Acropolis Museum was officially announced by the State in 1976, for statues protection from the 20th century’s urban pollution. There were two initial National Architectural Competitions where first prizes were withheld. The third Competition, an International one of 1990, had 438 entries, and a brief. Ten years after the Italian team’s award (Nicoletti and Passarelli), that competition was annulled for immediate environmental problems. The fourth International Competition was victorious for our collaborative concept of participating design architects Tschumi and Photiadis. The commissioned museum dictated a design solution facing the Acropolis Monument with a choice of restricted materials in a dynamically structured system of transparent and protective glazing and appropriate concrete, stainless steel and marble cladding. It achieved an interplay between the New contemporary shell of the Acropolis antiquities and a transparent construction over the on-site excavations of ancient neighborhoods, integrated within the city’s urban environment.
≥THE CARYATIDS BALCONY. PHOTO: JOHN GIANNELOS
The AIA Jury comments included:
petition of 1990. Among the three different sites, I had chosen another neighboring one, that of the Koile, which offered other possibilities. My solution won an award but not its site. The present location was named in the final executed brief.
LIGHT FUNNEL PASSES THROUGH GLASS COVERED PARTHENON ATRIUM TO SLOPE S GALLERY TO CONNECT WITH EXCAVATIONS
In 2011 the AIA Institute gave the Honor Award for Architecture to the New Acropolis Museum, designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects with Michael Photiadis & Associate Architects. It is located on a site with unique challenges at 300m SE of the pedestrian link to the Acropolis Rock and the Parthenon. The Museum stands between the 19th c. listed and incorporated building, the city’s subway line and the safeguarded ancient housing excavations promenade.
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THE ENTRANCE SHELTER COVERS THE MUSEUM DOORS AND UNCOVERED EXCAVATIONS. LEFT IS THE LISTED WEILER ARMY HOSPITAL.PHOTO: ERRIETA ATTALI
The collaboration of two study groups from such distant geographical points, New York in the U.S. and Athens, Greece, with a seven hour time difference, did not deter but favored the result through an uninterrupted, hi-tech digital connection, “…allowing one team to sleep, while the other continued working…”. This resulted in a production turnout that at some design stages practically doubled the tight presentation schedule. It should be reminded that Greece has demanded the return of only the Procession frieze which was a part of “the Parthenon’s bearing flesh”. The juxtaposition of original pieces with copies summit the call for the specific marble frieze’s return from London. It is also a reminder of our Country’s timid silence over the comparatively smaller object of the singular peplos stone in Paris. Within the reactions to preconstruction are comments related such observations as an eminent politician’s: …”but I was part of the opposition then…”!
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Structural solutions understandable by the general public are: the special foundations and the building’s earthquake insulation; the concealed fire partitions; the glass paving that allows views of the excavations; the vertical glazing permitting natural or filtered light; the Parthenon Gallery’s insulation with manual or sensor controlled natural or artificial lighting (including thermal loads); notes on the project’s acoustic protection; the auxiliary spaces interior design; the remarks on the outdoor landscaping environment.
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THE ACROPOLIS' PARTHENON AND THE MUSEUM AT SUNRISE. PHOTO: NIKOS DANILIDIS
4 GRADA DRAGODID – PRESERVING DRY-STONE MASONRY TECHNIQUES OF THE EASTERN ADRIATIC (KOMIŽA, CROATIA) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING
Grga Frangeš 4 GRADA DRAGODID - ETHNOLOGIST ≥ DRAGODID KRAJIŠKA 30 10000 ZAGREB CROATIA ≥ INFO@DRAGODID.ORG WWW.DRAGODID.ORG
6. Dragodid.org – Preserving Dry-Stone Masonry Techniques of Eastern Adriatic 38 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
“Drystone: constructed of stone without the use of mortar as an adhesive”
tion of this skill came to the very brink, it’s value began to be noticed again.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY
4 GRADA DRAGODID association was formed Drystone – rough stone masonry without out of a personal experiment with manual mortar, is an intangible heritage of the Medi- labour and DIY construction experienced by terranean with roots that go all the way into a group of students 11 years ago. It’s name comes from “Dragodid” – a small hamlet on the Neolithic times. Croatian island of Vis where it al started. Left In the karstic coastal area of Croatia, it’s to abandonment and ruin, it’s rudimentary islands and hinterlands, dry-stone con- stone architecture was a monument to the struction was the dominant technique for old way of life on Adriatic that depended enconstruction of land fences, agricultural tirely on local materials and subsistence. It’s buildings and modest human habitats until last occasional inhabitant, late Andrija Suiæ the mid 20th century. As any visitor can attest invited a group of young city folk, who were simply by looking at our landscapes full of on the island to participate in the architecstone fences and terraces, this form of build- tural convention, to help him renovate the ing left an indelible mark on this scenery and village and learn something useful along the way. A very impromptu international workbecame it’s main cultural element. shop was made. The experiment turned out Not so long ago, this simple and democratic to be very fulfilling – experience of erecting masonry skill was the prerequisite of very something substantial as a building with your survival on this rugged terrain – not a sin- own hands, without machinery or artificial gle farmer or shepherd could do his work materials was exhilarating! without the skill to build fences and terrace walls that prevented the sheep and soil from Trough this experience we came to underrunning away. It could be said that practically stand that this endangered knowledge is of every able-bodied inhabitant of these regions vital role in preservation and continuation of eastern Adriatic cultural landscape. Beside knew how to build drystone. being necessary in maintaining our existThis widespread knowledge started to fade ing heritage it is needed for construction of around the middle of the XX. century with the new objects that will fit into our cultural and advance mass produced industrial building natural landscape. The dry-stone masonry materials – brick and concrete. At first these techniques as intangible heritage are of imwere used cautiously to supplement tradi- mense practical importance for future gentional building techniques, but soon, as they erations: these skills produce practical and became cheaper and more easily available, usable buildings from local materials and the pace quickened. Today, because of the means, with no external costs and without unmanaged pressures of tourism and com- the necessity for machinery. The building mercial development, the very cultural land- process is inclusive, social, didactic and fun. scape itself is under threat from the excess- The resulting constructions are recyclable es of concrete construction. The knowledge and if needed, easily degradable. The workof the dry-stone masonry techniques and shops were a hit with the audience of young skills is rapidly lost with the passing of the heritage professionals and enthusiasts and last generation of folk masons that actively for the last 10 years we have organised dryspracticed this art. Only when the preserva- tone reconstruction and training in many THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 39
locales on Croatian coast and built up some organisational momentum trough this work. After formally registering an association in 2007, we began to pursue wider and more public aim of reviving drystone as a popular building and landscaping technique. Drystone workshops remain our core activity and the means of gathering and directly transferring skills and knowledge which we aim to preserve. Under mentorship of an experienced local stone masons, our participants, heritage professionals, students and activists, work together on construction and reconstruction of dry-stone buildings and landscape features. In between practical tasks the workshops also serve as a place of theoretical debate and exchange among 40 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
the assembled enthusiasts and professionals. The whole workshop process is carefully documented to be used as a base for creation of content for our publications As means of disseminating collected information we have registered a domain WWW. DRAGODID.ORG with the aim of turning it into a central information repository for Drystone phenomena on the Croatian internet. In there, the information collected trough our practical workshops and research of the literature and historical sources is compiled into content for different audiences. On the most practical and widely accessible level we have published and are preparing a series of printed DIY manuals and on-line tutorials. Aimed at the experts and advanced
enthusiasts is section of our website with collected downloadable academic work about the drystone phenomena. Website also has a well maintained news stream which provides information on the new dry-stone related initiatives, events, discoveries and other information. These activities attracted substantial media attention to the subject of dry-stone heritage, especially after we received the Europa Nostra heritage award in 2011. But we were not alone in kindling a new found appreciation of this skill and its material monuments as a national heritage – the time was simply ripe for it. A host of local citizen associations actively works on preservation of both the drystone skills in their community and their drystone heritage sites. Many of them are a true grassroots reaction to an accelerating disappearance of cherished scenery and a way of life. We work with them as partners and learn from them as true carriers of drystone heritage. Trough this work our strategic ambition remains to re-establish drystone techniques as an efficient, aesthetic, humane and sustainable alternative to concrete in construction of simple buildings and objects in the Mediterranean.
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The Intan: An Accidental Museum THE INTAN (SINGAPORE) MUSEUM ROUNDTABLE AWARD FOR BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE 2011
Michelle Scully AUTHOR
Alvin Mark Yapp PRESENTER ≥ THE INTAN 69 JOO CHIAT TERRACE SINGAPORE 427231 ≥ CONTACTUS@THE-INTAN.COM WWW.THE-INTAN.COM
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7.
The Intan is a curious, little private museum. It sits in the middle of a row of houses in the heart of a historical and residential area of Singapore. Occupying an area no larger than 1,000 square feet (90 square meters), the museum celebrates the culture and heritage of the Peranakans: a unique people of Singapore and the region. What makes The Intan remarkable is that it is an ‘accidental’ museum. A young man’s simple pursuit of his heritage and cultural identity 25 years ago has become Singapore’s first and only private home museum. In October 2011, The Intan was awarded ‘Best Overall Experience’ in the esteemed Museum Roundtable Awards, Singapore’s first national accolade dedicated to museums and galleries.
Who are the Peranakans? For centuries, the riches of Southeast Asia brought foreign traders to the region. While many returned to their homelands, some remained behind, marrying local women. The Peranakan culture is a unique hybrid of these cultures. Stemming mainly from the Chinese and South Indians (Hindus and Muslims) together with the local indigenous community in the 18th century, the culture resulted in a fascinating fusion of traditions, beliefs and tastes. Together with the wealth amassed by the Peranakans during that period, many of the rituals and ceremonies were visibly opulent yet delightfully romantic. Over the years, the Peranakan culture evolved into a distinctive blend with traces of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Malay, Indonesian and Chinese influences.
The Evolution of the Intan Museum ALVIN YAPP, FOUNDER & OWNER OF THE INTAN
Advocator, believer, educator - Alvin is one of Singapore’s foremost purveyors of Peranakan culture with over two decades of experience as a passionate collector of Peranakan antiques. Born to Peranakan parents, Alvin’s interest in his heritage was piqued when he was 16, after watching a Peranakan-themed play. While his parents enjoyed the show, Alvin found it a challenge to grasp the play’s context and nuances. Epiphany struck and from that moment on, Alvin decided to set out on his journey of self and cultural discovery. At 18, Alvin started collecting Peranakan antiques to learn more about his culture. It was through this process that he realised there was inadequate documentation on Peranakan antiques, which spurred him to find out more. “It was a struggle to discover the background of these pieces as much of the information was through spoken histories,” he says. In 2003, Alvin started The Intan - a private home museum. Word of his formidable collection got around, which led to constant requests for him to exhibit his antiques. Together with his parents, Alvin curates and upkeeps the museum collection, as well as conceptualises and runs awareness programmes at The Intan. Alvin sees The Intan not as a commercial endeavour, but as an emotive and constantly evolving tribute to one of Singapore’s and Southeast Asia’s most unique communities. “With The Intan, I hope to make heritage relevant by exploring new ways to show the public what it means to be Peranakan,” he says. Today, Alvin remains as passionate as ever about Peranakan antiques. He is a respected aficionado who is much sought after for his views and insights on the subject. A businessman by day, Alvin is the Director THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 43
the community, it is long and narrow – an architectural feature that takes one back to a time under the Dutch era, when taxes were determined on the number of windows a house had. Best Overall Experience Award It is only in stepping through the wooden door MUSEUM ROUNDTABLE AWARDS, NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD OF SINGAPORE that the pure delight of the place becomes In 2011, The Intan was honoured ‘Best Over- evident as one sets foot in a world where the all Experience” in the inaugural Museum rich culture of a forgotten time awaits discovRoundtable (MR) Awards, an initiative by the ery. Inside, the soft light that filters through National Heritage Board (NHB) of Singapore. its narrow openings and skylights reveals Being the first national accolade dedicated to the wealth of what The Intan holds – a superb museums and galleries, the awards identify collection of all things unmistakably Peranaand celebrate shining examples of museum kan. History comes alive with a dazzling array of precious historical antiques spanning excellence amongst its members. As the smallest and the youngest member, from the magnificently decked ancestral The Intan was recognised for the award by altar to the gleaming mother-of-pearl furniture, from distinctly coloured nyonyaware being true to the following fundamentals: (porcelain) to personalised silver sireh (betel leaf) boxes. The wooden staircase, handPERSONALITY AND CHARM – THE HOUSE The Intan is housed in Alvin’s personal home. somely lined with European enamel tiffins, Typical of houses that are associated with tempts the curious visitor to the upper level of BusAds Pte Ltd, a family-run enterprise specialising in large-format printing and outdoor advertising for the last 30 years.
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of the house – a fascinating wedding chamber filled with treasures befitting the nuptial celebrations! European styled teak wardrobes with gold leafed Chinese designs are shelved with intan (rose cut) diamond jewellery, finely embroidered kebayas (blouses), handpainted batik sarongs (skirts) and rows of intricate kasut manek (beaded slippers). Visits to The Intan conclude with tea sessions and dinners featuring authentic and delectable Peranakan cuisine prepared by Alvin’s mother. CREATIVE PROGRAMMING
The Intan takes pride in designing imaginative and creative outreach programs such as: Project Intan – Into its 5th year in 2012, this is an annual charity fundraising event where young musicians are trained to perform traditional music while audiences are served time-honoured authentic homemade food to celebrate the occasion at the museum. Transitions! – A site specific play staged against the rich setting at The Intan, appropriately produced in collaboration with local college students addressing the younger generation confronting their personal views of their culture. Children’s Season – A series of children workshops around the island focusing on the 5 senses, in so doing highlighting the food, art, fashion and music of the Peranakans. The Collectors’ Sale – Members of the public are invited to meet private collectors who
share, educate and offer pieces from their personal collection for sale. Caring for your Collection – A series of conservation clinics to help collectors care for their antiques. A Peranakan Art Affair – An exhibition of Peranakan inspired works of art.
The Intan – Challenges and the Future Space, manpower and resources. The Intan depends solely on the kind support of generous patrons and volunteers. As The Intan grows, professional services are required in areas such as marketing, copywriting and photography. There is also a need to address facilities for the elderly and young. Eventually, The Intan needs to produce a constant stream of events to entice visitors, while balancing its commercial goals versus community aspirations. Meanwhile, Alvin aims to further develop his home-museum with progressive and inspired programs such as sponsoring plays and hosting distinctive initiatives such as jewellery exhibitions, art shows and charity violin recitals. Building on The Intan concept, Alvin aspires to contribute to ad hoc consultancy and design work focusing on all things Peranakan. “Having an understanding of one’s past stands him in better stead for the future,” explains Alvin of his enthusiasm for The Intan. True to its vision, The Intan continues to sparkle and celebrate all things Peranakan, while contributing to the community and inspiring individuals to realise their own dreams!
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8. ANTWERP CENTRAL STATION (ANTWERP, BELGIUM) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - CONSERVATION (GRAND PRIX)
Louis Maraite ≥ SNCB-HOLDING, RUE DE FRANCE, 85/S.26-1 1060 BRUXELLES BELGIUM ≥ COMMUNICATION@B-HOLDING.BE WWW.B-HOLDING.BE 46 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
Antwerp Central Station is linking history and future !
Belgian station won the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage /Europa Nostra Awards 2011 in the major category “Conservation”
ciety is separating people. The stations are bringing them together, linking people. Antwerp Central Station is linking generations, history and future, culture and nature, heritage and modernity…”.
“This project’s award recognizes the exceptional achievement of turning a terminal station –typical for 19th century railway architecture – into a through station, a bare necessity in the 21 st century – while returning the monumental railway station building to its former glory. The jury appreciated the immense quality of the work executed in all its elements, from the outstanding conservation of the station building with its huge canopy, to the creation of the three level railway underpass. New and old, contemporary and historical, are found to be in perfect symbiosis with each other. The positive interaction of the refurbished station with its surrounding urban landscape proves that the preservation of the existing station was the only option and that the technical challenge of creating an effective thoroughfare had to be surmounted. Demolition would have been too easy and would only have resulted in the destruction of the urban landscape”.
He didn’t tell that, in the early seventies, authorities decided the demolition of the station. After WW II, the station was neglected, as all the railways during this period of “all for the car”. The 1905 station and his canopy were hopefully listed as protected in 1975. And saved. But conservation work only began in 1986 with the repairs to the cast iron canopy over the railway tracks.
This was the conclusion of the Jury of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage /Europa Nostra Awards 2011, decerned in Amsterdam by European Commissioner for Culture, Androulla Vassiliou, and by President of Europa Nostra, Placido Domingo. The SNCB-Holding, for the Belgian Railways, received for the station of Antwerp-Central the Grand Prix in the major category “Conservation”.
The original station building was constructed between 1895 and 1905 as a replacement for the original terminus of the BrusselsMechelen-Antwerp Railway. The stone clad terminus buildings, with a vast dome above the waiting room hall, were designed by Louis Delacenserie and the vast (185 metres long and 44 metres high) iron and glass trainshed by Clement van Bogaert. The viaduct into the station is also a notable structure designed by local architect Jan Van Asperen. The station is now widely regarded as the finest example of railway architecture in Belgium, although the extraordinary eclecticism of the influences on Delacenserie’s design had led to a difficulty in assigning it to a particular architectural style.
Antwerp Central Station has been the “Railway Cathedral” for one century. The SNCBHolding, Belgian National Railway Company, took up the challenge to transform the 1905 station, built under King Leopold II, into one Jannie Haek, CEO of the SNCB-Holding, was meeting 2010 technological requirements very satisfied with this award. He dedicated and social needs, while still respecting its it to the 50.000 passengers using the station cultural heritage. The monumental architecevery day, the 38.000 people working in the ture of the station has been painstakingly reSNCB Group and to the architect Jacques stored and integrated within a new structure Voncke who made all this possible. “The so- by the architects, creating a dynamic blend THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 47
of old and new, of stone, glass brick and concrete. Three underground levels of platforms, visible and day lit from above, link travelers between their 21st century trains and the Art Nouveau train hall. The 3,8 km tunnel drilled 20 meters under the existing station allowing high speed trains to travel between Brussels and Amsterdam took eleven years of work without traffic interruption. A techni-
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cal challenge. The ultramodern High Speed Trains gave Belgian most prestigious station a future! Costs? 750 millions €. The station is now prepared for a new century ! In 2009 the American magazine Newsweek judged Antwerpen-Centraal the world’s fourth greatest train station.
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9. 50 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
Why anxiety works NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE (OSLO, NORWAY) NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011
Henrik Treimo SENIOR CURATOR ≥ NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE KJELSAASVEIEN 143 0491 OSLO NORWAY ≥ HENRIK.TREIMO@TEKNISKMUSEUM.NO WWW.TEKNISKMUSEUM.NO
“The museum is Norway’s major museum for technology, science, and medicine. It is recognized for its untraditional and exiting exhibitions, and it has used new methods to try out the exhibition concept.
certain degree of risk taking and anxiety. Since 2006 the museum has produced some of its most daring, costly and spectacular exhibitions ever. With Klima X, an exhibition on global warming (2007-2009), and Mind Gap, on neuroscience (2011-2012), the aim has been to develop the content in innovative ways and in dialogue with society. We’ve had the ambition of challenging the themes, the exhibition form, ourselves and our visitors. The bottom line is to think of an exhibition as an experience and a place for transcendence. Therefore both exhibitions were made in collaboration with artists that, in different ways, treated exhibitions as places for experiences, creativity and participation rather than places for text, showcases and objects.
In relation to the University of Oslo’s 200 Years Anniversary the Museum engaged the world famous theatre artist and exhibition designer Robert Wilson for the exhibition “Mind Gap” – on neuroscience, how the brain works, and how it affects people. This exhibi- Klima X was opened in 2007, the day after the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony, by the Norwetion has evoked great response (…). gian Prime Minister Stoltenberg and Prize The museum has had a strong development winner Pachauri and the Intergovernmental in visitor numbers, not at least due to its Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Certainly Science Center which presents kids with a the timing for this exhibition was good. Klima unique opportunity for exploring curiosity, X shows the causes, effects and possible socreativity and experimental eager through lutions to global warming. The theme was on loads of simple and graspable installations everyone’s lips. But, in the end, the media (…).” (Jury of the Norwegian Museum of the coverage and the visitor numbers we experienced was an effect of an unusual and exitYear Award, 2011). ing exhibition. In the last decade the Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology and Medicine has Klima X was designed by the Swedish exhiundergone a metamorphosis from a quite bition designer Peter Ullstad, Codesign. The mainstream introvert museum of its kind idea was to make the visitors experience the to one of the most visible, most visited and effects of global warming. To enter, visitors awarded museums in Norway. There is not had to put on yellow rubber boots. The floor one single reason for this. It is the combina- was covered with 10 cm of water to illustrate tion of some particular deliberate choices the effect of increasing sea level. The exhibithe Museum made in endeavor to achieve tion area was 400 square meters, so there more visibility and higher visitor numbers, was a lot of water! People were supposed to and events, particularly unexpected events, be immersed in the theme as well as inspired which have played a major role in determin- by interactivity. This was the museum’s first ing the change of the museum. One par- major experimental exhibition. ticular important impetus has been that the Museum seems to thrive and develop with a Parallel to the development of Klima X, we THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 51
≥ MIND GAP EXHIBITION, NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE (2011-2012) (PHOTO: LESLEY LESLIE-SPINKS)
Experiments and anxiousness: Changing the Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology and Medicine through experimental exhibitions and moods
VISITORS IN KLIMA X EXHIBITION (20072009). (PHOTO: NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE) MIND GAP EXHIBITION, NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE (2011-2012) (PHOTO: LESLEY LESLIE-SPINKS)
tia. The museum has also been represented at festivals and external events, where particularly the museum’ science center has played an important role. A total makeover of the Science Center has also enhanced the positive impression of the museum. It is very popular among the youngest visitors. Neither of these events are (alone) the reason for the Museum of the Year Award. The reason for the price is that the museum has changed, and the way it is done. The change has been towards a museum of public engagement and experiments. Experiment in this regard, involves taking risks, and to some extent sacrificing the authoritative position so characteristic of the traditional museum. To a larger degree the museum invites visitors to take part in a co-production of knowledge, the museum experience, as well as the museum itself. On November 1st, 2009 the museum received the Leading Edge Award for “Best Visitor Experience” for the Klima X exhibition. By this time we were already far into the planning of our next big explored another dialogic exhibition concept, contemporary exhibition, on neuroscience. so called “hot spots”. These were small ex- Neuroscience is hot, it’s a huge field of rehibitions with the particular aim of taking a search covering a wide range of academic stand, being a voice in contemporary social disciplines, it’s a theme that engages and debates and also, maybe, being provocative. affects us all – and it encompasses some of Among the themes were national regulation the big questions for mankind. The exhibiof artificial insemination in relation to the tion should not be about the results of sciWorld Wide Web, another theme was (mis) ence, not about everything we know about treatment of children with tuberculosis in the brain, it should be about neuroscience the 1950s. These exhibitions got a lot of at- as a material and intellectual practice – neutention with national media coverage, and roscience as culture. The exhibition was they stirred up public debates and even a planned in co-operation with the University public investigation. The “hot spots” lasted of Oslo’s 200 years anniversary in 2011. only for a few months, but they brought the museum into the spotlight as a place where Mind Gap is designed by the American artist Robert Wilson, in collaboration with the unexpected and interesting things happen. Swiss scenographer and architect Serge von In this period the museum also developed Arx. The design and the physical staging fonew concepts like for example “Late”, which cus on capturing people’s interest, activating is night open museum for adults, and “Meet- their senses, intellects and bodies through ing with memories” for people with demen- the exploration of three different rooms that 52 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
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MIND GAP EXHIBITION, NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE (2011-2012) (PHOTO: LESLEY LESLIE-SPINKS)
media coverage has been even more extraordinary than that of Klima X. Visitor statistics showed a new all time high in 2011 with 260 000 people, and the prognoses for 2012 is even higher. The scale of the project, We chose to work with Robert Wilson be- involving professionals from art and science cause we wanted an exhibition in which the from all over the world, and the fact that we audience is envisaged as part of the design did not know where it would finally end, unper se and where seeing and hearing the doubtedly evoked a sense of anxiety. A kind exhibits is also a physical experience. For of anxiety that I think contributes to the necseveral decades, he has experimented with essary enthusiasm for such projects, not just space, sound, light, movement and objects in for the director and project group, but for the his productions. He is probably best known whole museum. as an avant-garde stage director and collaboration with Philip Glass on the opera Ein- The exhibition received the International Design and Communication Award (IDCA) for stein on the Beach. best exhibition layout in 2012. In my presenMind gap is a comprehensive expression en- tation I would like to reflect and elaborate on veloping both art and science alike. It repre- different aspects of being experimental, taksents a new way of communicating science. ing risks and profiting from anxiety in muThe public response in terms of visitors and seum practice. complement and supplement each other: A room of triangular mirrors, a room of trees, and a pitch dark room with a light and sound installation.
10. Paper Museum: the simultaneity of a museum and an industrial space
MUSEU DO PAPEL (SANTA MARIA DA FEIRA, PORTUGAL) BEST PORTUGUESE MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011
Marques da Silva DIRECTOR ≥ MUSEU DO PAPEL TERRAS DE SANTA MARIA RUA DE RIOMAIOR, 338 4535-301 PAÇOS DE BRANDÃO PORTUGAL ≥ GERAL@MUSEUDOPAPEL.ORG WWW.MUSEUDOPAPEL.ORG 54 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
Property of the Municipality of Santa Maria da Feira, its creation was a response to the paper community, conscious of the need to preserve a “ paper culture “ with over three hundred years of history in this region, thus justifying its Mission: preserve memories of the day-to-day paper activities, having as main objectives the study of the History of Paper in Portugal and the preservation and dissemination of tangible and intangible Heritage of this Industry.
per manufacture, preserving the historical burden and the day-to-day existences of the workers who worked there. To emphasize the relevance of this project in the preservation of the environment, in its contribution to the interiorization of recycling values in general and in a specific way of recycling and reuse of paper that are present in all activities of the Educational Services, materialized in the exchange of old paper brought by school children, which, in turn, take new paper produced in the museum. However, and because paper recycling is not eternal, is also a concern of the museum call the attention of the new attitude of the Portuguese Pulp and Paper Industries, in the building a sustainable society through a rigorous policy of reforestation and concern for issues related with biodiversity.
In this sense, the Paper Museum aims to provide to its visitors the knowledge of the dynamism and modernity of the Paper indusBy their dimension and characteristics, this try in Portugal, because only then the History project was a huge financial effort for the lo- of Paper gets a real sense, by emphasizing cal authority, only possible thanks to the re- the present and plan the future. imbursement of various EU funds, especially the Culture Operational Programme, which After ten years of its opening, the first mucovered not only the recovery and adaptation seum dedicated to the History of Paper in to a new museologic functionality of spaces, Portugal, has been affirmed as a reference but also the development and achievement in the Portuguese Industrial Museology level, of educational and intangible Heritage pro- having been distinguished by the Portuguese Association of Museology, as “Best Portujects. guese Museum 2011”, not only by the impleInstalled in two old paper factories from the mentation of creative and innovative projects, early nineteenth century, one still containing, but also for its strong identity and coherence ‘in situ’, all the machines of the production at museology level, in search of a qualitative process, the conceptual row of the museo- difference and a very close connection to the logical programme required that the pro- paper community. ject should be materialized in the creation of all structures needs to a museologic best Although the Human Resources team of the practice, without, however, mischaracterize Paper Museum is very small, it is composed the old workspaces, providing an interpre- of elements with diverse academic backtive reading of the evolution process of pa- grounds that complement each other, enTHE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 55
≥CUSTÓDIO PAIS BUILDING / DRYING LOFT
Opened in 2001, the Paper Museum Terras de Santa Maria is an Industrial Museum, having as great feature the maintenance of a manufacturing production in activity, making paper by hand from cotton and linen clothes and an industrial production, making recycled paper from old paper. Simultaneously with this pre-industrial and manufacturing activity, all museologic functions are carried out, maintaining a cultural and educational practice always guided by the art of making paper.
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suring the various aspects of the museum daily life, and developing a work marked by effort and great devotion to the project.
itating an interpretive reading of the exposed contents, but also a state of surprise with innovative proposals capable of attracting and retaining new and different publics, not forgetting the public with special needs, such as blind and deaf, in order to foster a formative and inclusive culture.
CUSTÓDIO PAIS BUILDING
There are no easy challenges, when we want to build quality and accuracy projects. I’d say that the biggest difficulty of this project was the design and implementation of accessibilities for visitors with reduced mobility, within For all these reasons, we don’t see the Paper a centenary space, without mischaracterize Museum as a space of the past. It’s true that it and without compromising the production it’s a space for the preservation of memoareas. ries. But the most important is that it also constitutes a space for the creation of new We tried that the final result would provide memories. not only a natural empathy with visitors facil-
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11. The Heritage Conservation Practical Case: Baojiatun Watermill BAOJIATUN WATERMILL IN GUIZHOU PROVINCE (CHINA) UNESCO ASIA-PACIFIC HERITAGE AWARDS FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2011 / AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Prof. Qingzhou Wu Dr. Haohao Xu ≥ SOUTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE NO. 381, WUSHAN ROAD TIANHE DISTRICT GUANGZHOU CHINA ≥ QZWU@SCUT.EDU.CN EN.SCUT.EDU.CN/
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In order to preserve the last watermill as a witness of Baojiatun’s past glory, the restoration project was initiated in 2008. The object of the project is the only mill which is still in use now. It is the 1 of 6 which is the nearest to the village, with the longest history and best quality, linking the man-made canal and the entrance of the village. The reason why the mill was selected is because it is the key part of the whole system in Baojiatun water facilities. From a historic point of view, the mill keeps the original part of the water facilities built in the past, which is still functional. The restoration makes the culture of using nature resources as the energy of the daily life. The fallen water caused by the dam drives the roller in the mill for grinding grain. The traditional sustainable philosophy is simple but very efficient. From an architectural point of view, the mill keeps the vernacular tectonic methods and materials. The local people can still work properly during the restoration project. Also the professional designers helped to instruct and record the progress of the project. From a social point of view, after 600 year’s mutual adaptation, the water conservancy facilities have been well harmonized with the local environment and ecology. It helps the canal system for the second-phase of production. From a disaster-proof point of view, the mill connects the canals, and creates a whole system of dams, dykes and water gates. During the terrible draught and flood disaster, there are no severe negative influences in Baojiatun thanks to the water conservancy work. For the daily life, the capable coverage of the irrigation is 153.3 ha. It is very efficient by using the dams and canals. Yielding two crops a year is possible, like paddy, wheat, broad bean, etc.
But owning to the impacts of the various social changes and the misuses, most mills were seriously damaged while only one survived and is still capable of working. Mainly the structural parts were damaged, including the roof (broken), the west wall (collapsed), the windows and doors. It creates unsafe condition for the ordinary use of the The clients and the scholars set the consermill. THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 59
≥PIC1. THE MILL AND THE DAM / BY MR. ZHONGXIAN WU
In the north-east of An’shun town, Guizhou province, there is an ancient village. It is called “Baojiatun” because more than 90% residents share one family name “Bao”. Baojiatun has a history of more than 600 years since the Ming Dynasty. In the year 1368, ZHU Yuanzhang the emperor sent his troops to invade Guizhou province. The troops occupied all places they conquered for supply and logistics needs. Bao Fubao, the leader of one troop, chose where Baojiatun is currently located as his garrison station. After the war, they started farming, multiplied and lived there; and that is the origin of Baojiatun. Thus, their architectures and costumes reflect obvious traditional style of Ming Dynasty. As soon as Bao Fubao chose the place for his troops, he brought rich knowledge and experience of water conservancy from his hometown (South of Anhui). When Baojiatun was gradually being formed in the old ages, the ancestors built a dam to store floodwater for irrigating crops, and to overflow for flood discharge as well. A systemic water conservancy work was established gradually. By fully considering local conditions, the work was designed with a “fish-mouth dividing dike” that created a a new canal (1.33 kilometers) to separate the upper river into two, and formed several circuitous sub-canals, 5 diversion dams and 5 approach channels could irrigate all cropland (30 km2) in different elevation. Later, 6 mills driven by water energy for grinding grain were built next to the 6 dams.
PIC2. STRUCTURAL SYSTEM / BY QINGZHOU WU
vation project’s goals: To display the history of Baojiatun and to establish the complete landscape system by restoring the watermill. The watermill is a main building in one of the 24 sight spots in the village, and it’s on the left side of the only entrance to the village. Therefore, the restoration of the watermill is of great importance to the view and the history of the village. As it shows in the pictures, the villagers in Baojiatun still keep the tradition of playing JUN NUO for the worship of the God of water, to pray for the harvest. The social culture and the man-made water facilities is one of the most important parts to show the local activities and spirits. > To show the integrity of the water conservancy facilities in Baojiatun. The watermill is an integral part of Baojiatun’s water conservancy system. There once were 6 watermills in history, but most of them were abandoned. In 3 of the remaining watermills, it is the only one that was well preserved and is still functional. > To play a positive and exemplary role in the conservation of nearby villages . Nowadays, some historic villages are so enthusiastic about modernization that they pulled down decorated archways and widened the main streets to let more vehicles in, and even >
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changed the folk houses into big pseudoclassic style buildings, which completely changed the historical villages’ original character. In comparison, this restoration project sticked to the principal of “rehabbing historical buildings as what they had been”, which sets a silent example for the conservation work of neighbouring villages. > To ensure the sustainable use of the watermill. The watermill needs no fuel to drive, which conforms to current trend of energysaving and low-carbon. As a result, the watermill should keep it’s original function, and provide possibility of eco-tourism. The project is mainly focused on the repair of main structure (chuandou system: A special kind of structure in traditional Chinese architecture), of the building envelops (including walls and the roof), of the water conservancy facilities, and of the decorations. The methodology of restoration is Safety first, Restore to what it was, Apply traditional technique, Use original and local material for construction as far as possible, Consider sustainability. (pic 1) All the techniques adopted in this project are strictly in accordance with Baojiatun’s traditional crafts. Specific techniques are as follows: Horizontally-sliced stone slabs, Eaveseven-wall, Roof slates, Zhuba-wall. (pic 2)
By the efforts of the experts together with the villagers, the mill was successfully restored in the year 2009. In the project, keeping and returning to its original appearance and function was placed as a high priority. For that, traditional techniques and local materials were used. Unsafe impacts were also eliminated by the restoration. From 2009 to 2010, the mill and the surrounding water facilities facing the extreme droughty weather and have successfully offered the village an efficient irrigation and production system. (pic 3) Furthermore, the potential ecological tourism may increase the village income to well protect the legacy and the traditional culture. After the project on conservation, Baojiatun has successfully applied for the provincelisted historic and cultural villages. Application as the state-listed historic and cultural village was approved in 2010. The ancient water conservancy in Baojiatun has applied for the 7th important cultural relic sites under state level protection and received high opinions from scholars. The restoration method of keeping them as what they are plays a positive and exemplary role in the conservation of nearby villages.
PIC3. FLOOD CONTROL / BY MR. ZHONGXIAN WU
To show respect for the building’s character, the project also adopted only local materials and constructed strictly in accordance with traditional techniques. Any new elements or modern technical solutions were excluded. Only the following appropriate materials are used during the construction. TIMBER: Used in structure and some partitions. Specific techniques are as follows: clean dust out first, then polish with sandpaper, and at last brush over with anticorrosive tung-oil. SLATES: Used for roof. Keep slates’ irregular shapes and overlap them as the way fish scales fit together. STONES: Used in walls and the plinth. New stones need to be reworked into antiquated forms and bound together with lime mortar. Besides, dry-brick building can also be used in non-load bearing parts. BAMBOO SPLINTS & COW DUNG: Used to constitute zhuba-wall which is placed in the end wall. To form this wall, bamboo splints are tightly weaved together to fit in its timber framework and lime mortar mixed with cow dung is smeared on surface as plastering.
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Without the Lianne van den Beemt commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers, there would be no Watersnoodmuseum
WATERSNOODMUSEUM (OWERKERK, NETHERLANDS) EUROPEAN MUSEUM FORUM / SILLETTO PRIZE 2011
OPERATIONAL MANAGER/MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
≥ WATERSNOODMUSEUM WEG VAN DE BUITENLANDSE PERS 5 4305 RJ OUWERKERK THE NETHERLANDS ≥ INFO@WATERSNOODMUSEUM.NL WWW.WATERSNOODMUSEUM.NL
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Beside the small staff there are over a 120 volunteers that help in the museum; selling tickets, working in the coffee corner or the museum shop. But they also do the registration of our collection and the maintenance of our caissons. They give guided tours inFour concrete mega-structures, Phoenix side the museum and when requested outcaissons, in the old sea dyke near Ouwerkerk side, for example in elderly homes. We have , (a place in the province of Zeeland, in the thousands of photographs and newspaper Netherlands), accommodate the unique col- cuttings, all scanned and put in books; work lection of the Watersnoodmuseum. It was done by our volunteers. Several of them not until nine months after the flood that the survivors of the 1953 flood and very willing last breach in the dykes of the south-wester- and eager to tell the world about what haply part of the Netherlands was closed off with pened that dark February night and the days, months and years after. these caissons. The Watersnoodmuseum or Flood museum, tells it all: the facts and figures of the tragic events of February 1st 1953, the emotions, the reconstruction and how we can live with water, now and in the future.
Getting ready
Accessible
The Flood museum opened in 2001. It took all those years for people in the Dutch provinces Zeeland, Brabant and Zuid-Holland, where the flood happened, to get ready for a place like this. The pain had been too much. At first only one caisson was used. Caissons are like big, floating, concrete boxes. Size about 60 meters long, 20 meters wide and 20 meters high. When they were placed in the gap of the dyke, they were filled off with sand. To start the museum, one of the caissons was partly emptied. We now still walk on +/- 13 meters of sand. In 2009 the other 3 caissons were added to the museum.
Without the volunteers, it would be almost impossible to run the Watersnoodmuseum. It now has a rather small admission fee and is therefore accessible to everyone. The museum gets no government grants. It gets its income through selling tickets, the coffee corner, the shop, guided tours and if lucky a few sponsors. Because the volunteers do their work for free, most income can be put in the operating budget.
Volunteers The start of the Watersnoodmuseum is the result of the enormous effort of a group of volunteers. In the beginning, when there was only one caisson in use, volunteers took care of everything. In 2009 when the museum was extended with the other 3 caissons, it was time to professionalize. A director was appointed and also an office manager and a small team of housekeepers, to take care of all the work that a museum, with around 60.000 visitors a year, brings with it.
In 2011 the museum was granted the Siletto Prize for Volunteers by the European Museum Forum. The judges wrote: “This museum is a community effort driven by vision, enthusiasm and commitment. It is now a national monument and its capacity to leverage support from the local community is commendable. ….. It is a beautiful example of a community museum and of what passion and dedication can accomplish”.
A small museum tour Facts and figures are to be found in caisson 1. The events in the catastrophic night of the Flood (February 1st 1953) are highlighted here, and the aid given in the first few days THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 63
thereafter. What happened, and how could waves. People wrote down memories they it happen? There are Polygon film reels and had about the deceased and a voice tells fragments of the historic radio broadcasts, one of those memories every few minutes. and thousands of newspaper cuttings and Standing in the dim caisson, watching the photographs of the Flood and the follow- names in the sand, listening to the stories, ing months. Special attention is given to the is an intense experience. Even if you didn’t combined efforts of thousands of aid work- lose anyone in 1953 or experienced the flood ers and volunteers from the Netherlands yourself. and abroad.
Emotions and people Caisson 2 is about the people - the victims, the emotions and personal experiences. One of the most emotional elements in the museum is the special project ‘1835 + 1’ in which a documentary-maker and an artist created a multi-media monument and succeeded in giving the victims of the Flood a voice. The names of people that lost their lives are projected, rolling over a bed of sand, looking like 64 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
Work in progress
Caisson 3. The reconstruction after the flood started immediately. Work was in progress everywhere: at dykes, houses, agricultural land, the infrastructure, so that the flooded region could quickly be made habitable again. Wooden pre-fab houses were donated by several countries; one of those (a gift from Denmark) has been rebuilt inside caisson 3. Next to the house are machines and equipment used to reconstruct the dykes. The last
part of caisson 3 links the fifties with the pre- be officially presented on February 1st 2013. sent: our changing society, the moderniza- Sixty years after the 1953 Flood. tion of daily life and the construction of the Delta project. The museum that started in 2001 primarily to remember (and learn), will then also show what has been achieved through the years. Living with water And hopefully new volunteers will follow. BeCaisson 4. Looking ahead is what happens cause also in the future: without volunteers in this caisson. At the end of 2012 it will be there will be no Watersnoodmuseum. refurbished. To prepare for a future that hopefully still brings many visitors to the Flood museum. But more and more visitors will have no memories of 1953, but do want to know what is done to make living behind dykes possible and learn about innovative projects which have arisen since 1953 and the Delta project. In the region around the museum, for example, they now breed fish on land, use oyster shells to stop deterioration of the coastlines and learn to live with the water instead of fighting it all the time. The new caisson 4 will show all that. It will THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 65
Museo Torino MUSEO TORINO (TORINO, ITALY) ICOM ITALIA AWARD FOR BEST COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT 2011
Daniele Jalla DIRECTOR, AUTHOR
Cristina Vannini ICOM ITALIA, PRESENTER ≥ MUSEO TORINO VIA SAN FRANCESCO DA PAOLA 3 TORINO ITALIA ≥ INFO@MUSEOTORINO.IT WWW.MUSEOTORINO.IT
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MuseoTorino is an “on line museum”: a new way – and challenge – to conceive and create a museum of the city: both a real and diffuse museum and virtual and on line one in which the knowledge of the city and its history is stored, displayed and shared. MuseoTorino has the same, traditional aim of other museums of the city: to interpret and represent the evolution of the city both as urbs and as civitas, either in its material and immaterial dimensions. But, when we reflected about the ways in which this mission was achieved, we chose to undertake another approach. We thought museums of the city have frequently clashed against the challenges offered by their very subject, the urban heritage, whose representation is not very apt to be interpreted by a museum. In fact, how is it possible to enclose a whole city into a museum, especially if one wishes to narrate its history too? How is it possible to preserve a city as a traditional museum collection if we conceive it as a lively and continually changing reality? For all these reasons, cities are uncontainable collections and perhaps the best model for a museum of the city is the pattern of the ‘diffuse museum’: a museum made up of a system of assets, places, buildings, spaces, sites, landscape elements – natural or manmade – interpreted and communicated as a unique system through instruments which can guarantee their identification, their accessibility and their intelligibility. The main instrument of such a system is, in the majority of cases, an interpretation centre: an access point (both physical and ideal) to the system and, at the same time, the centre of responsibility of its management and development. By illustrating a land, a heritage, a community, a theme it wishes to offer a key – an interpretation code – necessary to facilitate the understanding and the autonomous exploration of the represented context. Exploiting all the potentials offered by new technologies, we built our Interpretation
centre as an “on line” museum, conceived, on all accounts, as a real museum, with all the related premises, services and activities, freely accessible by everybody, 24/7, wishing to present Torino and its heritage to its inhabitants but also to its guests; looking back to the past, with an eye projected towards the future. In this feature, the mission of museum changes: now its aim is not the material conservation of its collections (i.e. the city), trusted to different owners of the properties or the respect and application of the law concerning Heritage. Its mission is rather to preserve, increase, interpret, present, make accessible and share the knowledge of the city. MuseoTorino wishes to offer this knowledge first at all “on line”, through a virtual navigation of the present city, considering that the city of today contains all the cities of the past in form of presences, ruins, traces, signs, evident or not; and believing as well that in these places one can find also the people who have used to live or work in, their stories and all kind of events happened upon the time. MuseoTorino offers a journey throughout the city’s space and time. A guided or a free visit with synthetic information on the city and its history and images about places, people, events, themes, connected to the related bibliography and archives documentation. One can choose to visit the museum or an exhibition, to read a book in this library or to admire painting or old pictures in those galleries scattered throughout the city. A museum of the city, like the city itself, is constantly developing and re-shaping. It must grow and evolve at the same rhythm. And, thanks to its virtual dimension, we draw nearer to Le Corbusier’s ideal of ‘endless museum’. For this reasons MuseoTorino is a museum always in progress: we were and we are conscious that the aim to include in MuseoTorino the city as a whole, would be impossible THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 67
without continuously involving in this process archives, libraries, cultural and research institutes, and above all those citizens who are interested and wish to contribute with ideas, expertise, and energies. Wishing to create a museum for and of the community, largely based on local participation, the model we were mostly inspired by is, on the one hand, Wikipedia, and on the other hand, the ecomuseum, as an instrument of active citizenship meant to increase awareness in the values of Cultural Heritage, enhancing the involvement in its preservation and promotion, creating the optimal conditions to present it to and make it enjoyable to its guests . The first idea of MuseoTorino dates back to 2004, but the effective work started in 2009. The Museum opened in March 2011 and in this moment it suffers economic squeeze. But the goal to try a new way to make museums is attained and we are sure that our 68 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
perspective can help to open a deep and large reflection about identity not only of museums, but also of archives and libraries in the 21rts century. The mission of these institutions must change because they can start merging together, finding new ways to store and share knowledge on Heritage. They must continue to preserve material evidence of the past, but at the same time they must start considering how the web has changed up-tonow and will change in the future the conditions and systems of communication. The “museum of museums”, the André Malraux’s “imaginary museum”, now is infinitely larger and in the near future, if they want, all people can have the possibility, without moving out from their own room – as an ancient “studiolo” or “cabinet of curiosities” – to access the world heritage, as a first step for a personal and direct experience of enjoyment of the great museum of the world. Heritage, as a material and physical fact, is
not endangered by the web. The direct experience of heritage cannot be replaced by a virtual image, at the same manner as a picture has not replaced any masterpiece of the nature or of the mankind. But the web is an enormous tool and we can take advantage of it for presenting and communicating heritage. We must learn how to control it in creating few, scientifically certified websites for a broader access to information, in order to satisfy at the same time
different communities of interpretation. They won’t be any more museums, or archives, or libraries as we used to know them, perhaps. But they will become something new and we have to reflect how to carry on a long, honoured tradition of preserving and transmitting knowledge, looking to the future and not only to the past and to the present.
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A museum at the place where Swedish aviation was born
SWEDISH AIR FORCE MUSEUM (LINKÖPING, SWEDEN) SWEDISH MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011
Elisabeth Lagvik DIRECTOR OF THE PUBLIC UNIT ≥ FLYGVAPENMUSEUM CARL CEDERSTRÖMS GATA 2 S-586 63 LINKÖPING SWEDEN ≥ ELISABETH.LAGVIK@FLYGVAPENMUSEUM.SE INFO@FLYGVAPENMUSEUM.SE WWW.FLYGVAPENMUSEUM.SE
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and society Aviation history developed very fast during the 20th century. And so did the Swedish society on purpose to develop a democratic society. The Air Force Museum offers a wellpresented, interesting and stunning presentation of how the 20th century developed. Trends within Swedish military aviation are presented in the context of how society in
The collection The collection of artifacts was begun in the 1940s by two senior officers in the Malmen Wing in Linköping. Subsequently a large part of the Swedish Air Force Museum´s artifacts came to the museum through the extensive wave of closures of Swedish Air Force Wings, primarily in the 1970s and 1980s. THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 71
≥ PHOTO BY OLA HOLMQVIST
The Swedish Air Force Museum – Flygvapen- Sweden and the surrounding world changed. museum - was appointed the Museum of the The exhibition also explains how the threat Year in Sweden 2011. The museum is situ- from foreign powers and technological deated about 200 km south of Stockholm in the velopments affected defence policy and how city of Linköping with a population of 145 000 the lives of individual citizens changed. inhabitants. The museum’s main attraction today is the The museum first opened in 1984 and was wreck of one of the Air Force’s DC-3:s from the beginning and still is, financed (TP 79001) that was shot down by Soviet fightby the Swedish government. After the first ers in 1952 over the Baltic Sea. All eigth men opening the museum has expanded twice; in on board followed the airplane in the sea. 1989 and in 2010. By the reopening in 2010 Why this accident is such remarkable, from the visitors met a totally different museum. a Swedish point of view, that the Government Before the reopening in 2010, about 50 000 decided to salvage the wreck and show it at a visitors came to the museum every year, in museum, is that Sweden enforced a neutral 2011 the number of visitors had increased to position between east and west. more than 142 000. In 2003 the airplane was found and salvaged The museum is located in an area in Sweden in 2004. In the exhibition “Secret documents where flight has been a business of impor- – The DC-3 that disappeared” you can see the tance for 100 years. Sweden’s first aviator, wreck and learn about the tragic story that is Carl Cederström, flew with his airplane in considered to be the most dramatic event in Linköping already in 1911 and very soon he Sweden during the Cold War. The exhibit was was employed by the Army and Navy to teach appointed Swedish Exhibit of the Year 2010. some officers in Linköping how to control an The presentation of Sweden during the secaeroplane in the air. Sweden’s first military ond half of the 1900s continues in the exhiflying school was started here at the Malmen bition “If war breaks out - Sweden during the garrison in Linköping in 1912, on the very site Cold War.” The expansion of the Swedish welwhere the Air Force Museum stands today. fare state is also explained here and many Still today Linköping is an aviation centre in visitors experience nostalgia when they Sweden, with the Swedish Helicopter Wing, visit reconstructions of the Folkesson family the Air Force aviation school and, not at least, home as it would have appeared in the 1950s, the Saab industries where airplanes are con- 1960s, 1970s and 1980’s. Visitors that did not structed. expect that they would find anything interesting at the museum often are delighted over these interiors. Development of aviation
PHOTO BY OLA HOLMQVIST
Today, the collection of Swedish Air Force Museum includes about 100 000 objects, ranging from exhibited, stored, lent and flying aircraft to artifacts from all matters concerned with the Air Force, such as uniforms, textile, medical and technical objects, telecommunication materials, radar equipment, cameras, weapons and much more. The museum has a unique collection of aircraft, from the age of the pioneers to today’s JAS 39 Gripen. Many unique rarities can be seen in the exhibition Swedish military aviation from 1910 to 1945. In connection with this there is also an exhibition of aviation technology, from the pioneer era till today. The museum receives great help from the association of friends Östergötlands Flyghistoriska Förening, with the restoration and care of the aircraft. The society works, amongst other things, with the restoration of 72 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
the Saab 18B as well as with the completion of the S 16 Caproni. These volunteers have previously restored the S 31 Spitfire, the TP 47 Catalina and the J 21R. The restoration work partly takes place in the museum´s exhibition hall and is much appreciated by the visitors. The Air Force Museum also cooperates in restoration projects with Svensk Flyghistorisk Förening based in Stockholm. Visitors can also visit the Knowledge centre with both archives and a library. Here you will find the collection of documents, photographs, films, books and periodicals. These supplement the exhibits with valuable information, and are used in research and for our exhibitions.
Learning and testing For children – and adults! - there is plenty
of fun flight experiments to test in the Flight seum have worked out school programmes Lab, the museum’s science centre. For ex- which includes tasks that can be done before ample you can test your skills as an air traffic the visit, during the visit and after the visit. controller, match aircraft noise with the right Of course, there are guided tours arranged aircraft and pilot an aircraft in a simulator. for all kinds of groups, not only for children. The youngest visitors can also spend time The conference hall is popular to use by exploring the museum with the mascots companies for business meetings or other Drakel and Viggo. Right now there is a tem- events. Many pre-booked groups combine a porary exhibit The Drakel & Viggo workshop, meeting at the museum with a guided tour where children can visit the mascots’ work- and a dinner in the exhibit. shop that is located in a fictive airplane. There is a café and restaurant at the museum Children can also join the club the Flight that can serve lunch and dinner, either in the Watchers and thereby get access to specific restaurant’s rooms or in the exhibition hall. events and viewings. There is also birthday The restaurant’s name is Calle C, named afparties arranged at the museum. Lots of ter the pioneer aviator Carl Cederström. And school classes come to the museum and the museum’s address is Carl Cederströms teachers often take their classes to the mu- gata, so every one who visits the museum is seum to give lectures there instead of in the reminded of the aviation history in this area ordinary class-room. The curatos at the mu- while coming to the museum. THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 73
15. Heart for people’s cafes HEART FOR PEOPLE'S CAFES, IN FLANDERS AND BRUSSELS (GHENT, BELGIUM) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING
LECA (FORMERLY VOLKSKUNDE VLAANDEREN)
Laure Messiaen COORDINATOR OF LECA
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Emmie Segers STAFF MEMBER OF LECA
dr. Liesbet Depauw STAFF MEMBER OF LECA (PRESENTER) ≥ LECA SINT-AMANDSTRAAT 72 9000 GENT BELGIUM ≥ INFO@VOLKSKUNDE-VLAANDEREN.BE LIESBET@VOLKSKUNDE-VLAANDEREN.BE WWW.VOLKSKUNDE-VLAANDEREN.BE WWW.VOLKSCAFES.BE
LECA is a centre of expertise on the culture of everyday life funded by the Flemish secretary of Culture. Our general aim is to contribute to the disclosure and safeguarding of the cultural heritage of social practices, rituals and festive events in Flanders. As a small organisation we depend on the input of the general public and on the cooperation of a vast number of motivated tradition bearers. Consequently, the design of each LECAproject is based on a bottom-up philosophy. With the help of hundreds of volunteers we are able to raise awareness of and to expose the richness, diversity and viability of cultural phenomena such the culture of processional giants and dragons, annual festive events, people’s favourite traditions and many more.
> to bring the cultural value of people’s cafes as heritage places to the attention > to point out the importance of people’s cafes as centres of community life > to present a number of best practices of safeguarding people’s cafes in Flanders and Brussels by photographing them in a contemporary way > to investigate the viability of the remaining heritage pubs in Flanders and Brussels > to determine opportunities and chances to keep the existing pub heritage alive
Early on, we were faced with the fact that combining this new project with our other activities was impossible without extending the existing workforce of the organization. Therefore we applied for a project grant by the Flemish government and were lucky enough to be awarded 50 000 euro. The grant was almost entirely used to pay the salary of a temporary employee for a period of one year, starting on August 11 2008. Since the remaining financial resources were very limited, we had to be creative and turn our weakness into our strength. Our crowdsourcing initiatives enabled us to collect information on a large number of cafes. More importantly though, it also enabled us to make hundreds of people participate in and to collaborate on the safeguarding of the remaining cafes and to increase public support and attention for the matter.
One of our projects focused on the precarious situation of people’s cafes. In 2007 the media regularly reported on the disappearance of local people’s cafes and it soon became clear that these press reports were only the tip of the iceberg. After doing some research, we noted that everywhere in Flanders and Brussels people’s cafes were closing their doors at a vast pace. As a cultural heritage organisation we strongly regretted the disappearance of these iconic public spaces. The people’s cafes are not only important places for social encounters but also unique elements of our cultural heritage since they combine architectural, tangible and intangible elements in a typical way. In order to point out that their disappearance would mean a great The project was innovative in the way it comcultural loss, we launched the project ‘Heart bined scientific research, policy recommenfor people’s cafes’. dations, crowdsourcing and a nation-wide communication campaign to achieve its The project targeted different objectives at goals. ‘Heart for people’s cafes’ was kickedthe same time: off with the launch of the website www.volkscafes.be and a widespread call to register > to make people aware of the existence and the current (precarious) situation of the re- remaining cafes. The response was enormaining people’s cafes in Brussels and Flan- mous. The call was picked up by several national newspapers, magazines, radio and telders evision stations and individual websites and > to make clear that people’s cafes are a blogs. In less than 24 hours after the launch, unique part of the national heritage THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 75
volunteers had entered over 200 people’s cafes in the online database. Other heritage organisations promoted the project on their websites, newsletters and periodicals. In addition to the website, we executed a print campaign to give people a historical and socio-economic background of the people’s cafes. Amongst other things, this campaign included the free distribution of a thematic issue of our periodical publication De Gazet via all the public libraries in Flanders and Brussels. We also published a cycling route ‘Visiting people’s cafes by bike’ and a photo book called ‘Volkscafés’ with pictures of the young award winning photographer Jimmy Kets. The book showed a contemporary image of the people’s cafes and stressed their social function in our modern society. The book evoked a second wave of media attention which led to an additional increase of the public awareness. It also triggered other 76 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
cultural heritage organisations and (virtual) groups of friends to come up with their own safeguarding initiatives. In terms of research, we both used qualitative as quantitative methods to come up with an extensive viability report and a list of policy recommendations on how to safeguard the remaining people’s cafes in Flanders and Brussels. In September 2009 the project officially ended by submitting the report and recommendations to the secretaries of the Flemish government in charge. The biggest obstacle we had to face was the budgetary constraint. There were no funds for a paid media campaign. Also, travelling expenses and printing costs had to be kept at a bare minimum. And in October 2009 we could no longer afford to pay the temporary force. From that moment on we try to keep the project running without a person
in charge. The online inventory needs con- trust of a publishing house, the enthusiasm stant updating and although people still use of other cultural organisations and the atthe website to register and comment on their tention of the press, this would have been a favourite pub, public interest has waned. much more difficult endeavour than it was. Without someone to instigate new initiatives and publications, catching media attention proves a lot more difficult. In that regard, it was extremely helpful that the project received an Europa Nostra Award in 2011. The European prize and the press conference that followed caught the attention of several new partners and we’re looking forward to working with them in the future. To conclude, we would like to offer this piece of advise. In our opinion, awareness raising is the key in safeguarding a phenomenon as widespread as people’s cafes, and cooperation is the way to achieve it. Without the support of the Flemish government, the participation of hundreds of volunteers, the THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 77
City of the Dead MARTELLO MEDIA LTD: GLASNEVIN MUSEUM (DUBLIN, IRELAND) MUSEUMS+HERITAGE 2011, INTERNATIONAL AWARD & THEA OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2011
Martello Media NARRATIVE ARCHITECTS
Mark Leslie MANAGING DIRECTOR, MARTELLO MEDIA
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≥ MARTELLO MEDIA 4 ISLINGTON AVE SANDYCOVE CO DUBLIN IRELAND ≥ MARKL@MARTELLOMEDIA.COM WWW.MARTELLOMEDIA.COM
16.
≥ GLASNEVIN CEMETERY FINGLAS ROAD DUBLIN 11 IRELAND ≥ INFO@GLASNEVINTRUST.IE WWW.GLASNEVINTRUST.IE
inscriptions from throughout the cemetery are recorded on the wall. A network of stone drains was built in the 19th century to curtail the spread of cholera. One of these was unearthed during the construction of the building. It has been retained as a water feature. A screen scrolls the names of every single person interred at Glasnevin. The dead are also invoked by names, dates, and personal mementoes embedded in the Reflections wall. Visitors can learn about the motivation of the founder and his followers in the O’Connell Circle. Visitors sit on coffins in the Audiovisual Space to watch a panoramic The founding of Glasnevin as a non-denom- overview of the history of the site. inational cemetery by Daniel O’Connell in 1832 was a milestone for civil rights in Ire- Grave Matters presents a cross section of the land. In the 19th Century Daniel O’Connell ground, illuminating burial practices in the was a global colossus involved in causes 19th Century. Issues such as grave digging, such as national independence in Europe ‘body-snatching’ for medical schools, multiand South America, the abolition of slav- ple burials in single plots and cholera control ery in America, and civil rights for the Irish, can all be explored on interactive screens Jews and peasants in India. As a rebuke to built into the top of grave slabs. Glasnevin the British government O’Connell insisted has kept meticulous multiple entry records that Glasnevin would not be a Catholic cem- of every single burial, from the lowliest pauetery, but be open to people of ‘all religions per to the greatest statesman. Visitors can discover the medical, economic, social and and none’. historical value of these records in the ArThe diversity and importance of national fig- chive Vault. This information is a gold mine ures buried at Glasnevin makes it a place of social, medical and demographic informaof pilgrimage. The popularity of organized tion. guided tours, and the numbers searching out the locations of significant graves, convinced An interactive wall allows visitors to investithe Glasnevin Trust (which has operated the gate the disparate funerary rites and aftercemetery since the time of O’Connell) that life expectations of the multicultural range of a visitor centre was needed to compliment people buried here. Visitors can listen to the a five year long €20 million programme of colourful anecdotes of Glasnevin’s graverestoration of the cemetery’s mausolea and diggers in the Yew Grove. In the 20th century funerary sculptures. In 2010 the Glasnevin Glasnevin adopted cremation alongside burMuseum opened in a striking new building ial. A gallery presents a worldwide history of designed by A&D Wejchert Architects. cremation. On the upper level visitors can browse a digital database of the cemetery’s The City of the Dead is an immersive exhibi- archive. The record books recorded the tion in the basement of the Museum. Visi- name, age, next of kin, street address, family tors descend through evocative layers of status, cause of death and precise location earth into the Well of Memory. Interesting of every burial. THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 79
≥ GRAVE MATTERS
Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, is Ireland’s national necropolis. It combines the roles of Paris’s Pere Lachais, and Washington’s Arlington Cemetery. Many of Ireland’s greatest artists, writers, soldiers, patriots and leaders lie amongst the 1.2 million ordinary people buried here. In the 1820’s when Ireland was still a part of the United Kingdom, only the established Anglican Church had the right to operate burial grounds in Ireland. The Roman Catholic majority paid punitive taxes for the privilege of burial. They were also forbidden to pray over their graves.
GLASNEVIN MUSEUM
The Milestone Gallery has been designed to house a succession of special centenary exhibitions on key figures buried at Glasnevin, such as Parnell, Collins and De Valera. The large-format touch table can be reused in future exhibitions. The inaugural exhibition is on Daniel O’Connell – ‘The Man Who Discovered Ireland’. It highlights the importance of O’Connell’s vision to the development of Ireland as a modern country with a stable parliamentary system. O’Connell invented the modern concept of the political party as a mass movement. It also celebrates O’Connell’s role as a global figure. O’Connell was the precursor and the inspiration for figures such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King. He invented the ideology, slogans and tactics used by non-violent political agitators to this day. As Europe’s leading anti-slavery campaigner, he collaborated with and encouraged Barak Obama’s hero, Frederick 80 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
Douglass, who was known as ‘The Black O’Connell’ of the United States. As a result the Glasnevin Museum has already become a place of pilgrimage in Ireland for Black Americans. The Milestone Gallery also houses Milestone Lives – a ten-metre-long interactive timeline table recording the lives of two hundred of the most interesting people buried at Glasnevin, and how all these individuals interconnect. The information starts with a summary paragraph on each person, so that users can judge whether they wish to drill down to either a potted pictorial biography or a comprehensive one. A map shows how to find each person’s grave. The table has been devised in such a way that information relating to significant people buried in the future can be added. All the
It was a challenge for the Glasnevin Museum to strike a balance between providing historical information in an educational, informaThe final space, the Prospect Gallery offers tive and entertaining way, whilst respecting a breathtaking panorama of the cemetery, the dignified atmosphere expected by grievalong with information on its marvelous ar- ing families in Ireland’s busiest operational ray of funerary monuments and historic cemetery. In 2011 the Museum won a UK graves to be seen from this strategic vantage Museums and Heritage Award, as well as point. The Prospect Gallery is also used for a the Grand Prix of the Digital Media Associawide range of traveling and temporary exhi- tion, for the interactive software on the site. bitions, to allow individuals, community and In 2012 the project won a THEA Outstanding special interest groups to take ownership of Achievement Award from TEA the (Themed the Glasnevin Museum. Attraction and Entertainment) Association in California. Glasnevin is a pioneering cemetery museum. It uses modern database technology to Glasnevin’s founder Daniel O’Connell, argubring to life the burial records of seven gen- ably the greatest Irishman who ever lived, erations and 1.2 million people. In doing so would surely be pleased! it traces whole the social, historical, political and artistic development of Ireland as a modern country. THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 81
BELEIFS WALL
multimedia information from future Milestone exhibitions can also be stored within it.
17.
Love’s Final Theatre MUSEUM OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS (ZAGREB, CROATIA) EUROPEAN MUSEUM FORUM / KENNETH HUDSON AWARD 2011
Olinka Vištica, Dražen Grubišić CREATORS/DIRECTORS ≥ MUZEJ PREKINUTIH VEZA ÆIRILOMETODSKA 2 10 000 ZAGREB CROATIA ≥ INFO@BROKENSHIPS.COM WWW.BROKENSHIPS.COM
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ROLAND BARTHES, “A LOVER’S DISCOURSE”
The Museum of Broken Relationships started in 2006 as a joint-author art project of a former couple: Olinka Vištica, producer in the domain of cultural projects with considerable international experience and Dražen Grubišiæ, a versatile artist with a BFA in painting. The premise on which the project was built is very simple, based on the universally understandable feelings of love and loss. The museum’s collection is composed of evocative objects of no apparent value, in the material and artistic sense of the word, which are displayed anonymously using the subjective personal stories of their donators as the only text. A moving assortment of cathartic objects of lost love became the building blocks of a social museum with a now permanent address, capable not only of safeguarding but also of communicating the collective and personal emotional heritage. The initial display had instantly raised international attention and its creators were soon invited to curate the similar sort of display in more then 20 cities/communities worldwide: Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Berlin, Cape Town, San Francisco, Manila, Singapore, London to cite just a few stops of its ever growing itinerary that enabled the museum to enrich its collection not only in terms of the increasing number of exhibits but also in terms of social, cultural and historical content inherent to its symbolic objects and stories. From the first donations in Zagreb it was obvious that the personal narratives do not exist in a vacuum, out of space and time. Their multiple references often outgrew pure intimate experience of the two protagonists. Each exhibiton revealed something new and valuable about
the stringent influence of the cultural and historical context on these often elliptic personal accounts, concluded with joking irony or bitter disappointment, sorrow, regret or unquenched longing. Mixed feelings, doubts, ups and downs we all go through after a break-up or relationship ending proved to be so clearly understandable to every human being whatever his personal, cultural, social, political or economic background. The museum’s capacity to cross borders and inspire cross-cultural compassion and understanding was explicitly praised by the EMYA jury who rated the importance of public quality and innovation as fundamental elements of this museum when awarding it the Kenneth Hudson Award in 2011 : “The Museum of Broken Relationships encourages discussion and reflection not only on the fragility of human relationships but also on the political, social and cultural circumstances surrounding the stories being told. The museum respects the audience’s capacity for understanding wider historical, social issues inherent to different cultures and identities and provides a catharsis for donors on a more personal level”. Whatever the motivation for donating personal belongings – be it sheer exhibitionism, therapeutic relief, or simple curiosity – people embraced the idea of exhibiting their love legacy as a sort of a ritual, a solemn ceremony, a creative and poetic way to mark the end of a relationship. Our societies oblige us with our marriages, funerals, and even graduation farewells, but deny us any formal recognition of the demise of a relationship, despite its strong emotional effect. Contrary to its suggestive title the museum is full of resilience, hope and inspiration and has introduced in a big way the discourse of love into the museum field, challengTHE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 83
≥ EXHIBITS
“Every passion, ultimately, has its spectator... (there is) no amorous oblation without a final theater.”,
LONDON 2011
ing common perceptions of the role of the museum in society. The audience has assumed the multiple roles of museum’s creators, visitors, curators and created a unique collaborative-participatory project of hybrid authorship and blurred borders, somewhere between the simple documentation of every day life and its artistic sublimation, confessional prose and profane catharsis, prying voyerism and cultural anthropology.
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Conservation Of Sumda Chun Gonpa, Leh-Ladakh
SUMDA CHUN GONPA (LEH, INDIA) UNESCO ASIA-PACIFIC HERITAGE AWARDS FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2011 / AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
H.E Raja Jigmed W. Namgyal SECRETARY, NAMGYAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON LADAKHI ART & CULTURE ≥ NAMGYAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON LADAKHI ART AND CULTURE (NIRLAC) B-25,QUTAB INSTITUTIONAL AREA, TARA CRESCENT ROAD NEW DELHI-16 AND LEH OFFICE- OPPOSITE ALL INDIA RADIO STATION, LEH- LADAKH, J&K -194101 INDIA ≥ JIGMED_NAMGYAL@YAHOO.COM NIRLAC@GMAIL.COM
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Introduction
available material to demonstrate the replicability of traditional technology for conservation and building activity. C) Provide expertise for complex interventions that necessitate technical inputs to supplement available building and craft skills. D) Generate awareness amongst the community, especially the youth, on the potentials of current conservation practices and their employability. E) Demonstrate the integration of technical processes with traditional crafts in carrying out the conservation of cultural property to the satisfaction of community expectations within the parameters of conservation principles.
The conservation of Sumda Chun Gonpa was initiated by Namgyal Institute for Research on Ladakhi Art and Culture (NIRLAC) in collaboration with the Hemis Gonpa authorities and the community of Sumda Chun to augment the tradition of repair and renewal of sacred heritage that has continued for centuries in Ladakh. Sponsored by the World Monuments Fund, the collaborative conservation programme brought together a multi-dimensional team of traditional master craftsmen, artists and knowledge holders with conservation architects, art conservators and engineers to carry out one of the largest restoration efforts in the region. The project helped the community understand conservation needs and techniques better The site and the building while sensitizing conservators and architects to the requirements and expectations Remotely located in the Zanskar ranges of of the custodians. Beyond the objectivity of Ladakh, the monastic complex of Sumda the programme specific to the site, the pro- Chun includes one of the very few surviving ject has also been instrumental in creating a early period Buddhist temples, decorated in pool of human resource that could be used the interiors with exquisite wall paintings for similar works at other endangered plac- and stucco sculptures in the style of Western es in the region. Tibetan art. At Sumda Chun, the prominent white temple perched on the hillside, dominating a small settlement of a few houses Aims and objectives and fields below is all that remains of the The principal aim of the community and the original monastic complex believed to having Hemis Gonpa authorities was to safeguard once extended over the entire hill. and restore the 12th century living temple The temple building is distinctively divided complex. Being a religious site, it was re- over an entrance veranda, assembly hall quired that the activities planned towards its (dukhang) and two ancillary chambers. In conservation-restoration respect its sanctity keeping with traditional construction techand intervention strategies be devised ac- niques, the structure has been built with stone and mud mortar and finished with cordingly. mud plaster. Flanking the temple are the The objectives of the project therefore were:- two small ancillary chambers that can be A) Aid the centuries old tradition of commu- entered from low doorways directly from nity participation in the repair, maintenance the courtyard. and renewal of their collective cultural heritage. Paintings and sculptures B) Work with master craftsperson’s and  employ traditional techniques using locally All the walls in the interior of the assembly THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 87
hall are elaborately decorated with wall paintings, the oldest of which are considered to date to the 12th century AD. Around half the original wall paintings have been lost or painted over and now stand replaced with newer ones, the latter distinguished by their appearance, stylistic technique and limited signs of surface deterioration. The most striking decoration is however the shrine, an extraordinary assemblage of thirty seven stucco figures set in the walls of the niched chamber. The smaller ancillary chambers to the north-east and south-west of the assembly hall are found to house monumental four-armed stucco sculptures of Bodhisattvas.
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The project On assessment it was perceived that heavy rains at some point in time had probably brought down part of the south-east façade of the assembly hall and the two side chapels as none of them preserved their original entrance wall. Due to climatic change, increased rainfall over the past few decades had let to water seepage along parts of the roof damaging many wall paintings in the interiors. Detailed examination of the decorative surfaces revealed that they had suffered much and were under constant threat of damage and deterioration due to a variety of reasons. Causes for concern were cracks in the
walls coupled with bulging, wide long cracks tal in empowering the community to work on the walls were accompanied with detach- for the cause of safeguarding their common ment of the plaster from the support under- heritage through a platform for the sharing neath, the degradation of the mud plaster of ideas, experience and demonstration of and loss of figurative details on the paint- skills. ings due to running water from roof, Abrasions, scratches and loss of paint etc. Integrity of the building was maintained using materials mostly sourced locally and similar to the original. The essential building form was upheld and no modifications to the available footprint undertaken. New elements were introduced after detailed assessment. Thus the roof was re-laid based on calculations and investigative exploratory works. Replacement of wooden purlins and planks was undertaken only where the original had either decayed beyond conservation or was missing altogether. Heavy-duty jacks were used to temporarily take the load of the ceiling and remove props so as to provide specially sourced wooden columns of Juniper wood in lieu, similar to those already existing. The authenticity of the original 12th century paintings and sculptures was kept alive by not attempting any inpainting/retouching on them and through controlled removal of non-original superficial material. Interventions were kept to the minimal to preserve the original and prevent further loss using material similar to the original constituents as far as possible. Work was monitored using appropriate instrumentation, macro and micro photography and by visual examination and subject to review from time to time. Trials of treatment procedures were tested before large-scale implementation. The conservation of Sumda Chun Gonpa can thus serve as a benchmark to demonstrate the assimilation of vernacular skills with contemporary conservation standards in the preservation of the inalienable ‘physical’ and ‘sacred’ of a holy site. It has been instrumen-
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NEUES MUSEUM (BERLIN, GERMANY) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE / MIES VAN DER ROHE AWARD 2011
Julian Harrap ARCHITECT ≥ NEUES MUSEUM STAATLICHE MUSEEN ZU BERLIN STAUFFENBERGSTRASSE 41 D-10785 BERLIN GERMANY ≥ WWW.NEUES-MUSEUM.DE ≥ JULIAN HARRAP ARCHITECTS 95 KINGSLAND ROAD LONDON E2 8AG UNITED KINGDOM ≥ ADMIN@JULIANHARRAPARCHITECTS.CO.UK WWW.JULIANHARRAPARCHITECTS.CO.UK/
An Approach Philosophy
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The meticulous process of repair and restoration carried out on the ruined Neues Museum makes explicit the process as a series of informed and careful judgments balancing the status of the component piece with the vision of the whole. The original and the repair, the restoration and the intervention are fused together into a singular whole. The debate about attitudes to the extent of restoration and the manipulation of the surviving debris of the ruin are an essential part of the architects’ responsibilities. The form of the building was sufficiently complete to demand the re-establishment of the two courtyards to north and south of the central Treppenhalle. The new portions of building could provide support to the surviving galleries both structurally and from the servicing point of view. The surviving structure had been brutalized as part of the necessary underpinning process to secure the structure from further settlement into the sedimentary layers of Sprey Island. To develop an attitude towards the surviving original material the ephemeral structural interventions in red brick were removed and the original masonry was stitched together using reclaimed and recycled material from elsewhere in the City. The presentation of the new structures was also integrated by the use of reclaimed brickwork facing. The surviving surfaces of render were consolidated back to their substrate after cleaning and repair. The supporting areas of substrate brickwork were slurried to provide a consistent colour support to the surviving material while, at the same time, avoiding the deception of concealing the brick substrate.
classical building. Figurative sculpture of cast zinc was replicated where the iconographic sequence was inconsequential. The great sculptures were repaired in the manner of the antique with the very minimum of new work to confirm the history of suffering and damage to which they had been subjected. The task was to develop strategies and techniques that dealt with repair at different scales yet had a consistency of approach. The dynamic correspondence between repair, conservation, restoration and intervention evolved throughout a continuous dialogue between all the participants in the process. Stuler and Schinkel became our constant companions as we worked on the freezing of the ruin and the interventions demanded by recent history.
The first task was to bridge the gap between the great traditions of Beaux Arts reconstruction, as practiced so explicitly and with masterful self-confidence in Potsdam and the somewhat, more pragmatic Anglo-Saxon approach based on the writings of William Morris in 1877. This philosophy, which lead to the establishment of The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), was based on the proposition that the ruin of a building had greater meaning in recording its journey through time than its completion or reproduction in a theoretically correct manner. With great patience, a group was established, to create a vocabulary of English and German words, dealing with the concepts of repair, reproduction, recreation, restoration and intervention. Each component of the process to be undertaken was subject to rigorous analysis and debate providing a referNew raw stonework indents and cast ter- ence document which served throughout the racotta were integrated into the damaged period of the contract. classical mouldings around windows, doors, band course and cornices, to offer the eye The second task was to lay down a series of continuity within the formal geometry of a conservation strategies, which would resolve THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 91
the surviving external render. Many were distressed by an approach which left large parts of the rendered surface of the external envelope un-rendered but treated with lime-based slurries and silicate washes to suppress the colour of the substrate material while diminishing the accidental line of damage around the plates of render. All the surviving rendered surfaces were cleaned and consolidated back to their substrate. The brickwork, to which the render was applied, was repaired with second-hand salvaged bricks consistent with the original. Old pointing was largely retained and only supplemented with matching mixes where wind and water erosion had washed it away. The red colour of the bricks was suppressed to harmonise the colour with the surviving render so that at a distance the classical building appears complete. The third element, which served to define the intellectual framework for the building’s repair and reconstruction, was concerned with establishing a series of guidelines for individual spaces within the building. Some were so desolate and fragmentary that they invited new work of the highest quality. Others were a complex mixture of almost total surviving mid-19th century decorative schemes extending to almost completely obliterated finished and decorated surfaces. The guidelines leant on the geometry of the structural bay widths of the gallery to strive to establish a series of stepped levels of restoration and questions arising during the course of the repair where the surviving material required works to attempt a single-minded approach contextual support to give it meaning. The to the multifarious decision making process. unifying element in each gallery was always Strategies were to be explicit in relation to the floor-plate extending from end-to-end. individual materials, works of art and the is- Here the demands of a visiting population of sues of intervention arising from the occupa- a million visitors per year required a level of tion of the building by 20th century museum. consolidation beyond the limits of the intelIt would have been so easy to consider the lectual conservation framework established building alone and neglect the needs of the for ceilings, walls and columns. ultimate user. An example of the strategy developed in debate was the approach to These three basic documents served the pro92 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
ject well and as the design developed, were constantly being referred to as references from which the detailed strategies for conservation were built. In order to bring richness and personality to the implementation of the system each of the twenty galleries was awarded to different firms of conservation contractors to avoid the imposition of one practitioner’s style to similar materials throughout the Museum. The invigilation of the process of repair was undertaken by the conservation architect visiting on a weekly and sometimes daily basis to assess proto-types, mock-ups and test pieces before
implementation to full scale. In that way a consistent base line of judgement was, by common consent, brought to bear on the whole of the portfolio of tasks involved. The repaired building is the final document which confirms the ambition and responsibilities of all those who contributed to the great task of rescuing the Neues Museum from dereliction to its proper place in the European family of national museums.
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A museum re-born “BROTHERS AND SISTERS”- STREETMUSEUM, MUSEUM OF LONDON (LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM) AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, JIM BLACKABY INGENUITY AWARD 2011
Antony Robbins DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
20.
≥ MUSEUM OF LONDON 150 LONDON WALL LONDON EC2Y 5HN UNITED KINGDOM ≥ AROBBINS@MUSEUMOFLONDON.ORG.UK WWW.MUSEUMOFLONDON.ORG.UK
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The Museum of London – a hidden gem
looking a little faded. Research showed that many Londoners knew little about it or saw it as a ‘one-visit’ destination. It was seen as rooted in London’s history and heritage and not sufficiently connected to the lives of Modern Londoners. Visitors described the museum experience as ‘educational’. We wanted it to be educational but also a good day out. People who loved the museum - and there were many - described it as a hidden gem. We wanted it to be hidden no more. And we wanted to bring the story of London right up to the present day.
The museum that went from good to great The Museum was re-launched in 2010 with its Galleries of Modern London. These tell the story of the City from 1666 to the present day. They display over 7,000 objects - from vehicles, paintings, photographs, jewels and weapons. Over 490,000 visitors visited them in their first year of opening. The re-launch included the opening of the state-of-the-art Clore Learning Centre. This provided free facilities and underlined the museum’s commitment to life-long learning for all.
The Museum of London launched in 1976. Great design helped put It was part of the Barbican Estate - a bold, the Museum of London modernist vision of city living. This new urban plan for the City Of London bought housing, back on the map education, libraries, arts and performance We worked with a PR agency to devise a new, venues all into one central location. The mu- more powerful and contemporary brand and seum was built on the fringes of the capital’s visual ID – one that chimed with our visitors. financial district - on the foundations of a The re-branding was carefully-timed as part part of the city almost entirely destroyed in of the countdown to the launch of our GallerWorld War Two air raids. ies of Modern London. It was a good museum from the very start. It was not well know but it had always had fantastic collections. These told the story of London but only up to the first half of the 20th century. But, by 2008, the museum was
In the immediate lead-up to 2010 launch, we devised the You are Here campaign. The look and feel of the campaign was just right. Early responses to it were very positive. The anticipation created in the launch countdown led THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 95
≥ HAT BY PHILIP TREACY
Antony Robbins, 48, joined the Museum of London switching to the museum sector from a life-long career providing communications and policy advice to international development organisations. Robbins led communications teams at the UK’s Overseas Development Institute, the British government’s Department for International Development and the aid agency CARE International. This work took him to all corners of the globe, including Ethiopia, India, Bolivia and Croatia. In 2009, he joined the Museum of London, which tells the story of London from 46,000 years BC to the present. It is an organisation with a world view. Robbins was hired to oversee the re-launch campaign of its new Galleries of Modern London. These £25m galleries now enable the museum to tell the complete story of the modern capital - following its rebuilding after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Here, Robbins describes the journey to the re-launch; the campaign that resulted; the industry awards that followed and the legacy left by the museum’s re-birth.
to a brilliant opening night, fronted by vet- Developing award-winning eran Hollywood actor and proud Londoner, Smartphone apps Sir Michael Caine. The campaign won many prestigious industry awards, Visitor num- Our venture into the world of augmented bers built steadily and the museum attracted reality resulted in Streetmuseum - our first £800,000 of free media coverage. ever Smartphone app. This ‘museum in your pocket’ superimposed 250 photos and paintings and onto current London locations usRe-engaging Londoners ing the GPS facility in iphones and Android central to the Museum of Smartphones. So far it’s been downloaded London’s re-launch strategy 350,000 times. Streetmuseum turned us, The re-brand re-positioned us both as a con- overnight, into a market leader for heritage temporary and connected museum and as organisations. We were pushing the boundaan exciting new destination for Londoners ries of what digital technology was able to and overseas visitors alike. The You are Here do to open up our collections and archives. campaign was a playful take on our collec- It also ‘put the museum onto the streets of tions. It used images ancient and modern, London’. black and white and colour…They provided a striking and witty snapshot of London life The app additionally helped us overcome through the ages. And this appealed across that age-old problem - of the conservation of different generations and diverse audiences. precious images versus public access. Many
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other museums asked our advice as the awards - from the prestigious to the more obscure - mounted up.
Getting internal buy-in Museums are inherently conservative organisations. But we had (and still have) some excellent curators willing to take risks. The blueprint for the Galleries of Modern London was the result of their vision and expertise – and the campaign sprung out of that. But there were concerns about the extra workloads involved. Researching captions for the campaign images and especially for the app took time. But some of the curators became true ‘digital champions’. The museum was encouraged by the public support of UK Arts Minister Ed Vaizey. After that, there was no going back.
MOL CITY GALLERY EXTERIOR (C) MUSEUM OF LONDON
The future The Museum of London’s re-positioning continues of course. We cannot stand still; we can only go forward. We are exploring all that digital technology and interpretation has to offer as we prepare for our next major capital projects. On the immediate horizon are the re-launch of our Roman Galleries and the re-invigoration of the galleries in our sister museum, the Museum of London Docklands, in the heart of London’s East End. This museum enjoyed an injection of Olympic investment in following its role over the summer as the home of the German Olympic and Paralympics team during the games.
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Challenging Borders for the Love of a Common Heritage
CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE (SHIPCKA, ALBANIA) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - CONSERVATION (MEMBERS CHOICE AWARD)
Kliti Kallamata AUTHOR, ARCHITECT & RESTORER, MANAGER DIRECTOR OF “THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE” FOUNDATION
Mr. Ioanis Averoff DONATOR, METSOVO, GREECE ≥ “THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE” FOUNDATION STR. “MIDHI KOSTANI” P.3, B.3, KORÇA ALBANIA ≥ PAST4FUTURE@GMAIL.COM, KKALLAMATA@YAHOO.COM
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The statically conditions of the church were casting down from year to year. During the winter of 2002, the main vault of the narthex fell down, seriously risking the demolition of the whole church and the disappearance of this monument. It was in this moment that Mr. Ioannis Averoff, a Greek from Metsovo, came for the first time in Shipcka. He saw the church and fell in love with it. He decided to save it and he did.
The first step was the consolidation of the naos. Its North and South walls, which had the inclinations toward outside, were tight by four metallic rails. The vaults and cupolas were strengthened and consolidated. The Being a close neighbor of Voskopoja, or Mos- buttresses were restored, too. A new roof chopoli (a center which was very famous in saved the same slope and it was covered the Balkans for its development during 17th with stone plates, as before. - 18th c.), Shipcka was an important center of cattle breeders as well as merchants. Apart of statically problems, the narthex had During the 17th c. the population grew up changed through times. Parts of the fresco to 8000 inhabitants. Nevertheless, the very paintings in it, where is a representation of rapid growth of Moschopoli must have influ- “The Last Judgment”, were uncovered after enced later the migration of the population removing some later-added walls. Its West from Shipcka to the nearby town, as the re- wall, which was inclined toward the porch, cords tell for a reduction of the population disputing its existence and a large fresco in Shipcka and abandonment of the old part painting over the door, was consolidated, of the village. With the passing years, the pushing it by jets but without removing the village became nearly empty, especially re- painting from the wall. This painting depicts cent decades when most of them migrated the donators, a couple, a man and his wife, to Greece for a better condition of life. Very donating the church to the Saints George few families continued to live there trying to and Demeter, respectively on white and red survive and taking great care for the most horsebacks. The narthex came to its original valuable memory they had inherited from the shape. past – the church of St. George. For the consolidation of the mural paintings The church of St. George in Shipcka is a several professional restorers were engaged. three-aisled basilica with a roofing system This work not only saved these frescoes, but made of arches, barrel vaults, vaults and cu- brought in evidence their quality, too. All the polas. Its space consists in a naos, a narthex, work was very careful done encouraging eva porch and a bell-tower. This special type ery scientific result. of basilica began to flourish in this region by the end of 17th and beginning of 18th centu- As the work was going on and the building was safe, the project was extended even ries. more and all the other parts and furniture of THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 99
≥ CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE IN SHIPCKA
Shipcka is a poor village in a mountainous area in South-East Albania, about 25 km west of the town of Korça. The village is inhabited by vllahs, a special autochthonous Latin population very much spread on the area between Albania, Greece and FYROM. By the name “Shipiscka” and other indirect evidence it is supposed that the settlement dates back to the early Byzantine period of the Emperor Justinian. The origin of the name itself is an old Slavonic plant named Schipak = the red rose. The “red rose” (a wild rose bush) was a prevalent local plant, and its flower was dried and used to produce a local drink.
the monument were included in the process of conservation. No other monument in Albania has been previously restored in such a complex way that this church of St. George was. This was a unique case and everyone fell in love with the work. The project continued by including all the architectural elements and every detail in and outside the building. Some specialized institutions and professionals were involved to ensure a high quality restoration. So it was the conservation of the iconostasis, icons and wood elements in the naos.
beautifully carved wood candlesticks, two book holders and a fine carved prosqinitarios. The original icons of this iconostasis were taken out from it two decades before in order to save them from rubbery and they were stored in the Museum of Medieval Arts in Korรงa. Several icon painters were engaged to make copies of them. Thrones and seats of the naos, which had very interesting decorations, were restored, too. The restoration preserved the original elements and decoration. The big Cross, over the central part of the templon was damaged and made very dirty by the time. It was dismounted and sent The beautiful templon, or the iconostasis of to the laboratory of the Museum of Medieval this church is built after the typical style of Arts in Korรงa. A careful work brought in sight 18th c.; a half-flat carving, painted with a gold- a wonderful 17th c. art-work. like color. Specialists and restorers from the Museum of Medieval Arts in Korรงa came at A small chapel dedicated to St. Nahumus this church and worked for the restoration was added to the South wall of the naos of of this templon. They restored also all the St. George. There are few chapels dedicated other wood elements of the interior like: four to St. Nahumus in this region and this one, 100 โ บ THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
joined to the church of St. George in Shipcka, is very important historical evidence. There is a wonderful fresco painting in the apse still preserved. A group of young restorers from the restoration school of TEI in Athens took over most of the processes for paintings restorations.
gee families have returned from migration. They have begun to reconstruct their onceabandoned houses. Others are planning to come. The church, by preserving its values, has evoked its revival.
Outside the church territory, near the main road, there was an old barn, which was restored and used as a cafeteria, for the visitors of the church. Now the church of St. George in Shipcka is one of the best attractions of the cultural itinerary of all touristic agencies in Albania. A growing number of visitors are coming and enjoying, not only the values of the church, but also the characteristic cooking of the village. This restoration of the church of St. George was the greatest event that the village Shipcka had in several decades. The number of its inhabitants had grown after this restoration. Several refuTHE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 101
The National Archives of Australia – Illuminating the Past and the Digital Future
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA (CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA) 2011 UNESCO/JIKJI MEMORY OF THE WORLD PRIZE
Cornel Platzer DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PRESERVATION OPERATIONS ≥ NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA QUEEN VICTORIA TERRACE PARKES ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA ≥ ARCHIVES@NAA.GOV.AU WWW.NAA.GOV.AU
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material) in the digital form. Since 1994 the Archives recognised that it was essential for it to adopt a leadership role on the frontier of digital recordkeeping within government and the preservation of digital records of archival value. In 2000 the National Archives undertook to accept custody of all digital records appraised as having archival value, regardless of format. The Archives was among the first government archival institutions worldwide to address this issue. In 2002 the Archives published its strategy for ‘born-digital’ records that has guided its digital preservation and archiving developments to this day. The “essential performance” model then The National Archives of Australia (the Ar- proposed by the Archives has become an acchives) can best be described as the custo- cepted approach to the preservation of digidian for the memory of the Australian na- tal records across the globe. tion. The Archives manages, preserves and makes accessible Australian government The Archives’ in-house developed digital records (including the output of its national preservation software has been made freely public broadcasters), that reflect the coun- available for use by all interested organisatry’s history and identity, tracing events and tions since 2003. The development of many decisions that have shaped the nation and digital preservation frameworks by governthe lives of Australians. The Archives sup- ment and non-government organisations ports Australians to better understand their has been informed by the Archives’ digital heritage and democracy by ensuring that re- preservation principles, open-source prescords are increasingly accessible to the pub- ervation software and the hardware architecture deployed by the Archives. Within the lic via the internet. Archives, the Digital Archive contains ‘bornTo ensure the most valuable records are kept digital’ records largely of textual material for future generations, the Archives provides from government agencies, as well as the support and guidance to Australian govern- personal records of distinguished Australian ment agencies to implement effective infor- political individuals such as Prime Ministers. mation management regimes, using con- The vastly more storage-hungry audiovisual temporary standards and practices. Not only productions that are now flowing into the does this approach support the long term Archives for long term preservation are the preservation of Australia’s heritage, it also impetus behind the current re-scaling of supports informed decision-making, govern- digital workflows and storage infrastructure ment accountability and protects the rights to meet the specific requirements of audiovisual formats. The Archives looks forward to and entitlements of Australian citizens. sharing this work also with the broader digiUnlike the era in which the Archives was born, tal preservation community. when paper reigned supreme, the emphasis is now firmly on managing information (doc- It is not only issues that affect contempouments, emails, datasets and audiovisual rary formats that exercise the Archives, it THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 103
≥ THE DIGITAL ARCHIVE
As a nation Australia came into being on 1 January 1901, with the federation of six colonies creating the Commonwealth of Australia. Not surprisingly the young nation has a very young national archive, which traces its short history to a landmark event in 1961 when independence from the National Library of Australia was gained to establish the Commonwealth Archives Office. It wasn’t until the National Archives of Australia (then known as Australian Archives) was underpinned by the Archives Act 1983, that it had a solid legislative mandate to preserve the archives of Australia’s federal government.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA HEADQUARTERS
has addressed preservation concerns about some of the oldest and the most significant documents in its collection. While the documents are not from the late Middle Ages they are affected by iron gall ink which was used from the Middle Ages until the early twentieth century. The ink was used broadly for writing humble everyday letters, to legal or legislative documents. Hundreds of historic recipes and various methods of preparation exist for iron gall ink. The basic ingredients were crushed oak galls (abnormal, small spherical growths on oak trees containing tannins), iron sulfate (naturally occurring in run-off from iron mines or extracted from rusty iron nails), gum arabic (resin from the Acacia tree) and a liquid (water, beer, wine or urine – as available or preferred!!), but varying proportions were used. The resulting ink was acidic because the process that formed
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the black colour also produced sulfuric acid. The ink’s perceived permanence was a desirable feature. Despite this attribute, the ink has inherent problems: some iron gall inks have a corrosive nature over time, creating a brown halo around the ink lines and at worst effectively ‘eating’ their way through the support, creating a ‘lace-like’ effect. The preservation of iron gall ink documents is a small but important issue for the Archives which holds a number of significant documents written in the ink. The most important and historic document in the Archives’ care is Australia’s ‘birth certificate’: Queen Victoria’s Commission of Assent to the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 9 July 1900. The document was written with iron gall ink on parchment and soon after signed in iron gall ink by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle.
DETAIL OF QUEEN VICTORIA’S COMMISSION OF ASSENT TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT, 9 JULY 1900. THE 2011 JIKJI AWARD AS DISPLAYED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA
The Archives’ research into iron gall ink has taken two paths. The Archives has looked into the use of analytical tools like infra-red spectrophotometry and raman spectrophotometry to reveal the deterioration rate of the inks; and more recently the Archives has explored projected deterioration rates through the use of micro-fading. Micro fading has revealed that the inks used on the Archives most significant documents are prone to fading in a middle range – not fast and not slow. The study also revealed the trend for all of the inks to move from black/brown towards yellow. This information has informed the strategy to address public display of the documents resulting in greatly reduced exposure times and determining new ways of managing public access.
DIGITAL ARCHIVIST RUNNING A REPORT ON THE DIGITAL ARCHIVE
The National Archives is honoured that its innovative approach to the preservation of both old and new mediums and its willingness to share the results of its work worldwide, has been recognised in the 2011 UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World Prize.
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In Search of the Canadian Car "IN SEARCH OF THE CANADIAN CAR" CANADA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM (OTTAWA, CANADA) DIBNER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSEUM EXHIBITS 2011
Claude Faubert VICE-PRESIDENT, COLLECTION AND RESEARCH ≥ CANADA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM P.O. BOX 9724 STATION T OTTAWA ON K1G 5A3 CANADA ≥ INFO@TECHNOMUSES.CA WWW.SCIENCETECH.TECHNOMUSES.CA WWW.TECHNOMUSES.CA
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Is there such a thing as a Canadian car? Many countries have produced automobiles that are forever associated with them. Peugeot reminds us of France, Volvo of Sweden and Toyota of Japan while Fiat evokes Italy and Cadillac does the same for the United States. But can people name a Canadian car?
technology enthusiasts, families with small children and school groups. The exhibition’s sub-themes -- Designed by Canadians, Made by Canadians, Marketed to Canadians, and Chosen by Canadians -- make it easy for visitors of all ages to grasp the different ideas that the exhibition explores.
In 2010, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, Canada’s only national and comprehensive science and technology museum, opened a major exhibition to explore this question. In Search of the Canadian Car engages visitors in an open-ended discussion about technology and its place in their lives, using examples from the Museum’s rich collection of automobiles, automotive artifacts, related trade literature and archival material. The exhibition offers a variety of possible answers to the question of what makes a car Canadian by focusing on four sub-themes: design, manufacture, marketing and consumer preference. This approach encourages visitors to learn more about what it takes to create a commercially successful automobile and to question and contextualize their own ideas about what might make a car Canadian.
The exhibition is built around the question of national identity. Canadians have long thought about what makes them and their nation different from others. This concern grows out of Canada’s long colonial status, its small economy, its proximity to and dependence on the United States, and its internal cultural and linguistic differences. The automobile is a particularly good way of exploring issues of identity. In many ways, the car reflects the very close cultural, political, economic and technological links Canadians have had and continue to have with the United States. Have Canadians developed different ways of thinking about designing, building, marketing, buying or otherwise relating to the automobile?
In each of the four thematic areas, the storyline rests primarily on the automobiles on display. The storyline is also supported by an assortment of secondary objects like trade literature, archival materials and photographs. Each area also includes computer consoles that provide oral history interviews, video and audio clips, advertisements and textual or statistical information. The texts are provided in French and English. The overall design of the exhibition takes its inspiration from the automobile manufacturing and marketing industries. The primary audience for the exhibition is families with children ten years of age and older. Secondary audiences include car and
The section Designed by Canadians encourages visitors to recognize design as a factor in considering a car’s nationality and presents elements of the history of car design in Canada. The artifacts include Henry Seth Taylor’s steam buggy (1867), the first automobile designed and built by a Canadian, and the Manic GT (1971), with a design that combined European and American concepts in an attempt to create a uniquely Canadian look. The “Ask a Designer” interactive allows visitors to learn about design by selecting one of several frequently asked questions and hearing responses from the featured designers. In the Made by Canadians section, the objects tell the story of the rise, decline, and re-birth of a Canadian automobile industry. The artifacts include a royal tour car built by THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 107
McLaughlin Buick (1927), a company formed in partnership with an American maker, and a Mercury Meteor Montcalm (1973) built in Canada under the US-Canada Auto Pact (1965-2000). The section also features two cars built entirely from foreign parts in Canadian plants. For small children, there is a mechanical interactive called “Build-a-Car”.
have changed over time from simplicity and low cost, to fuel efficiency and small size, and finally to versatility and carrying capacity.
Since the Museum is committed not only to exploring the past but also to showing what might happen in the future, the exhibition has a section called Just around the Corner that presents some of the new technologies The section Marketed to Canadians uses ob- being developed in the automobile industry. jects to explore the branding, advertising and The content changes every six months or promotion of automobiles in Canada. The so, and in collaboration with the Museum’s objects on display suggest how marketing many partners, exhibits on the hybrid car, might contribute to what makes a car Cana- the electric car and the use of biomaterials dian and to highlight some of the techniques, in car construction have already been develimages and messages used to promote cars oped. as Canadian. The Mercury Meteor Montcalm (1961) is one example of several cars the At the end of their exploration, visitors are automaker Mercury named after Canadian invited to tell what they think makes a Canahistorical figures or well-known Canadian dian car. The “CARculator” computer interplaces. “Buy Canadian” is a refrain that has active in the shape of a large car wing gives both historical and contemporary resonance them the opportunity to record what factors and is well represented in ad copy of various are most important to them in determining types. The recurring message that cars have what makes a car Canadian. They can also to be built to suit the needs of a typical Cana- see what other visitors have said. Finally, dian family is often communicated with im- they can vote for the car in the exhibition that ages of families with children and ice hockey they think is most Canadian. equipment setting out for the ice rink on a The Museum also produced a related webcold, dark, and snowy winter morning. based exhibition for the Virtual Museum of (www.canadiancar.technomuses. Chosen by Canadians is the last of the four Canada sub-themes and focuses the visitors’ atten- ca). It is based on the same themes as the tion on consumer preference and the possi- physical exhibition, but includes additional ble contribution of the popularity of a car in automobiles and other objects from the colCanada to making it Canadian. The objective lection of the Museum and of partner instiis to help visitors understand the concept tutions. Finally, a website on Flickr allows of consumer popularity, to give information virtual visitors to post their pictures of auabout Canadians’ preferences over time tomobiles and give their own answer to the and to examine some of the factors that question of the In Search of the Canadian Car influenced those preferences. The section exhibition: Is there such a thing as a Canafeatures a Ford Model T (1914), a Volkswa- dian car? gen Beetle (1958) and a Chrysler Plymouth Voyageur minivan (1984). These very popular vehicles represent very different eras but together they show how Canadian preferences
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Outdoor art placed in Berlage’s unique 20th century urban design surrounded by Amsterdam School Architecture
ARTZUID – SCULPTURES AND ARCHITECTURE IN AMSTERDAM (AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011, CONSERVATION
Cintha van Heeswijck-Veeger DIRECTOR, FOUNDATION ARTZUID ≥ FOUNDATION ARTZUID KEIZERSGRACHT 478 HUIS 1017EG AMSTERDAM THE NETHERLANDS ≥ INFO@ARTZUID.NL WWW.ARTZUID.COM
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Amsterdam A group of residents living in Amsterdam South established the ArtZuid foundation in 2008. The foundation wants to draw attention to the almost one-hundred year old urban design of the architect H.P. Berlage ( 18561934), the so-called Plan-Zuid. The foundation took the opportunity to restore the original function of the neighborhood’s spacious avenues in 2009 by initiating ARTZUID, a biennial international sculpture route at the Apollolaan and Minervalaan, the main axes in this urban design. They hoped there would be more contact between the residents and tried, as it were, to tempt people in the neighbourhood to stroll past the sculptures. Nowadays the lanes are rediscovered as places where people can go and meet each other and enjoy outdoor recreation. ARTZUID allows visitors to enjoy a splendid combination of sculptures of top artists, while rediscovering this area of beautiful urban design and the distinctive architectural style of the Amsterdam School. The last edition of ARTZUID in 2011 attracted 350.000 visitors. More than 10.000 school children attended the educational program.
Berlage’s lasting gift to the city of Amsteram
for the ideas he incorporated in his urban design. Every architectural study pays attention to this masterpiece. Berlage chose a monumental scale when laying out the Apollolaan – in total it is sixty metres wide with a central green space of fifteen metres. You cannot take in the left and right sides in a single glance and if you walk along the centre of the avenues, you feel as if you are in an urban park rather than on a busy road. Between them, the 420 trees and the organically laid out public gardens. An ideal backdrop for exhibiting sculptures. The Minervalaan is completely symmetrical in layout and demonstrates the characteristic detailing of Amsterdam School architecture, reinforcing the picturesque nature of the neighbourhood. These broad avenues with high facades with shops and apartments aim to protect the intimate atmosphere of the picturesque neighbourhoods behind them. And it still works after all these years. Characterized by small green squares with playgrounds, public buildings and sport facilities you still feel like living in a village. Socialist Berlage made for that time a unique choice of mixing social housing with villas. Within his urban design there was space for various architects: Amsterdam School architects as well as Modern architects. The initiative to use the avenues and vistas as a setting for sculpture was shooting at an open goal. All the honour goes to town planner Berlage, who presented Amsterdam with a most valuable and lasting gift.
Through the years, the city of Amsterdam has looked after Plan-Zuid with care. Almost nothing changed. The area was a little forgotten, mostly unknown for tourists as for in- ArtZuid 2011 habitants of other parts of Amsterdam. Amsterdam South felt like a village in a capital Writer and artist Jan Cremer selected the city. ARTZUID connected the area with sur- sculptures in 2011. He wanted ArtZuid to ofrounding parts of the city by attracting visi- fer western and non-western art a shared tors to this part of town. stage. The inspiration was found in the contemporary population of the city and so the Berlage has been valued all over the world selection of the non-western artists evoked THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 111
the Netherlands’ trading history. Amsterdam grew rich in the 17th century from international trade. Its ships sailed all around the world. Long-standing presence in countries such as Ghana, Brazil, Suriname, Curacao, Indonesia, India, China and Japan created special links which led to flows of migrants in both directions. The selected artists were from these countries who work in their own local traditions and histories. In ArtZuid 2011, we have tried to convey the diversity and cultural range that is such a feature of Amsterdam. And we hope that the many non-western people who live in the city would come and visit Amsterdam South too. And that was what happened. From a neighbourhood initiative ARTZUID grew to a national attraction and the cultural heritage of Berlage became known under a new public.
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ArtZuid 2013 In the summer of 2013 foundation ArtZuid will again attract visitors with 50 sculptures to come and enjoy the beautiful outlay of Amsterdam South and its Amsterdam School architecture and make this district a lively cultural area. In Plan-Zuid, Berlage envisaged a spacious plaza on the Apollolaan, in front of the site of the Hilton Hotel, that he called the Culture Square. In that respect, we can say ‘mission accomplished’. ARTZUID encourages debate, brings people together, delight, a chat and offer recreation for young and old. Community spirit returns to the streets, children come out of their schools and people out of their houses, thanks to Berlage.
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 113
EUROPEAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION © 114 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
ALBERT EINSTEIN DURING A LECTURE IN VIENNA IN 1921. PHOTO: FERDINAND SCHMUTZER.
In paraphrasing the famous formula that changed the world, we will use it here to create a different interpretation that will provoke a change in the domain of (public) memory, museums, monuments. Only through the insistence of communicating the values we stand for, can we create momentum in the heritage movement.
serves a name. Therefore, we named this collection The Excellence Club. All of the members are international or national winners. All of them were handpicked among many, and all of them were presented in Dubrovnik. It is an informal but real club.
The interactive list of the members is always available in our annual publication and at our web site www.thebestinheritage.com. Most Listed below are museums, heritage and of the previous presentations are also availconservation projects which have been pre- able on DVD we have produced for Six years sented in Dubrovnik in the past ten years, as well as on-line: http://heritage.novena.hr. joined by the new members - the projects The collection is a remarkable one: 220 probeing presented to you in 2012. jects strong. All we want is to make it more To be invited they must have received a re- evident, accessible and used: by heritage ward for outstanding quality of their achieve- professionals or those who are being eduments in previous year. Our is the rightful cated for heritage professions. claim that they are supposed to be the cutting edge of what the heritage profession(s) Therefore in 2012, after 11 years of success we start with an additional web-page which can offer. focuses on the promotion of the Club and The occasion does not allow that we invite enables its members to spread informabut only the 24 among them. The idea is to tion about their activities: www.thebestinlet them share their success story with an heritage-eclub.com. We bear witness to the eager international audience. We give them building of heritage profession. opportunity to spread their fame and gain further, well deserved recognition for their Thus The Best in Heritage Excellence Club will further grow to become a indispensable achievements. search engine for all those who wish to exEnjoying the presentations in Dubrovnik is plore the changing ideas of what constitutes one way of profiting from their precious ex- excellence in museums, heritage and conperience, but yet another is to trace them servation in practice. in their existence and pursue of excellence. This a privilege any ambitious, curious and ...being present at entrepreneurial professional will appreciate. Exponatec fair, Cologne Both occasions, Dubrovnik and the web site are an opportunity to widen experiences and The opportunity and value we have created be inspired through the best practice. caught the attention of the organizers of Exponatec, probably the most important inThe accumulation of such positive, construc- ternational fair for Museums, Conservation tive efforts, so evidently recognized by the and Heritage in the world held biannually at fellow professionals and the wider public, Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany. It has led has achieved such a coherence that it de- to an interesting partnership. We were conTHE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 115
THE EXCELLENCE CLUB
The Excellence Club
THE EXCELLENCE CLUB
vinced from the outset that good equipment, excellent tools and technical solutions are essential to our professional success. They can energize the excellence we are supporting. The suppliers can be astonishingly well informed about our profession, but they still learn from us and are also inspired by our ambitions. Exponatec gives us the opportunity to learn about the performance of technological, technical and marketing solutions for our field. Next year it will be the fifth time we join forces with them to demonstrate that the closer contact with suppliers makes our job easier and more attractive. Save the date: 20. – 22. November 2013... www.exponatec.de
Dear part of our mission: helping the young and eager.... The milestone of our future development will be enabling free access to interested young professionals and PhD students, as to the conference itself and to all the information gained through the programme. Through the creation of our dynamic data-base we would like to spread the "fame" and know-how of the best practices and the people behind them. Having in mind the needs of students of Museology, Museum Studies, Heritage Studies, Heritology, Conservation and alike, we patiently build the educational value of our Websites and YouTube Channel
Excellence Club Members: >
Museum of Portimão (PORTIMO, PORTUGAL) COUNCIL OF EUROPE MUSEUM PRIZE 2010
> The Workshops Rail Museum (NORTH IPSWICH, AUSTRALIA) AUSTRALIAN TOURISM AWARD 2010, QUEENSLAND TOURISM AWARD 2010
> Tarbat Discovery Programme (ROSS-SHIRE, SCOTLAND) - THE BRITISH ARCHEOLOGY AWARD 2010
> Hôpital Notre-Dame à la Rose (LESSINES, BELGIUM) - PRIX DES MUSEES, PRIX DU PUBLIC 2010
> The NTNU Museum of Natural History and Archaeology (TRONDHEIM, NORWAY) - THE NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2010
> Science Center NEMO (AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS) - MONTBLANC MUSEUM AWARDS 2010 BEST MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN
> Museu Agbar de les Aigües (CORNELL™ DE LLOBREGAT, SPAIN) - MICHELETTI AWARD 2010
> Ozeaneum (STRALSUND, GERMANY) - EUROPEAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010
> The Medical Museion (COPENHAGEN, DENMARK) - DIBNER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSEUM EXHIBITS 2010
> UNESCO Bangkok / Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (ASIA - PACIFIC) - ASIAPACIFIC HERITAGE AWARDS FOR CULTURE HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2010
> Museum of Contraception and Abortion (VIENNA, AUSTRIA) - KENNETH HUDSON AWARD 2010
> Ulster Museum (BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND) ARTFUND PRIZE 2010
> Museum Victoria (MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA) 2010 MUSEUMS AUSTRALIA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE, 2010 VICTORIAN TOURISM AWAR
> Discovering the Museum – Brukenthal National Museum (SIBIU, ROMANIA) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2010 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING
> Faith in Maintainance (LONDON, UK), EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2010 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING
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NETHERLANDS), EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2010 RESEARCH
> The Baerwaldbad - Conservation through Vocational Training (BERLIN, GERMANY), EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2010 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING, GRAND PRIX
> The Westergasfabriek (AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS) EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARDS 2010 CONSERVATION
> Technical Museum in Brno (BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC) - GLORIA MUSAEALIS AWARD 2009
> NUKU Museum of Puppet Arts (TALLINN, ESTONIA) - ESTONIAN MUSEUMS AWARD FOR MARKETER OF THE YEAR 2010
> Museum of Natural History - NEUCHÂTEL, SWITZERLAND
> Zeeuws Museum - MIDDELBURG, NETHERLANDS > Museum of the Jaeren Region - NARBO, NORWAY
> The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre - NUNEATON, LEICESTERSHIRE UK > Open Air Museum - ARNHEM, NEDERLANDS > Idrija Municipal Museum - IDRIJA, SLOVENIA > Salzburg Museum - SALZBURG, AUSTRIA > D.D. Studio - RIGA, LATVIA > Kerry County Museum - TRALEE, COUNTY KERRY, IRELAND
> Craftattract project - MUSEUMS OF HRVATSKO ZAGORJE - GORNJA STUBICA, CROATIA
> BELvue Museum - BRUSSELS, BELGIUM > Mátra Museum - GYÖNGYÖS, HUNGARY > The Pier Arts Centre - ORKNEY, UK > Sustainable Aegean Programme - CRETE AND THE AEGEAN ISLANDS, GREECE
> Maison du patrimoine médiéval mosan BOUVIGNES, BELGIUM
> Culture Ants project - ISTANBUL, TURKEY > Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian - WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES > Robbers’ Paradise or «The European Museum of Overseas Stolen Treasures -
> A Mediated Window to the Stockholm Art and Industry Fair of 1897 - STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
> Art Museum of Estonia - TALINN, ESTONIA > Children›s Museum of Pittsburgh PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
> Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience - MOHER, IRELAND
> Europa Nostra - THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS > Cultural Tourism Development Center “City-Museum” - KOLOMNA, RUSSIA > Fondation des Clefs de St-Pierre - GENEVE, SWITZERLAND
> Hunebedcentrum - BORGER, THE NETHERLANDS > IMTAL Europe Board of Directors - PARIS, FRANCE
> Liebermann-Villa am Wannsee - BERLIN, GERMANY
> Manx National Heritage - ISLE OF MANN, BRITISH ISLES
> Museum of History of Catalonia BARCELONA, SPAIN
> Svalbard Museum – NORWAY > The Museum of Communication - BERN, SWITZERLAND
> The National Institute for the Protection and Conservation of Monuments and Sites - PRAHA, CZECH REPUBLIC > The Science Museum at the University of Coimbra - COIMBRA, PORTUGAL > Transylvania Trust - ROMANIA > XXI Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquites of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism - ATHENS, GREECE > German Emigration Center / Deutsches Auswandererhaus, BREMERHAVEN, GERMANY > Pallant House Gallery, CHICHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM
> International Museum of the Reformation, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
> Sarica Church, CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY > Mourne Homesteads - Mourne Heritage Trust, NEWCASTLE, CO. DOWN, NORTHERN IRELAND > Biskupin Archaeological Museum, BISKUPIN, POLAND
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 117
THE EXCELLENCE CLUB
> The Letters Project (AMSTERDAM, THE
THE EXCELLENCE CLUB
> The Abbey of Klosterneuburg, KLOSTERNEUBURG, AUSTRIA
> Triglav National Park - The Pocar Farmhouse, SLOVENIA > The Workshops Rail Museum / Queensland Museum, NORTH IPSWICH, AUSTRALIA
> State Borodino War and History MuseumReserve, BORODINO, RUSSIA > Museum Centre of Hordaland, SALHUS, NORWAY
> Royal Museums of Art and History, Cinquantenaire Museum, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM > National Museums Liverpool, World Museum, LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM > Museum the Menkemaborg, UITHUIZEN, NETHERLANDS
> Archeological Museum Narona, Vid METKOVIC, CROATIA
> National Library of Ireland, DUBLIN, IRELAND > Professor Amareswar Galla: Ha Long Ecomuseum, AUSTRALIA / VIETNAM > CosmoCaixa / Fundació "la Caixa", BARCELONA, SPAIN
> ss Great Britain Trust, BRISTOL, UK > UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards, UNESCO Bangkok, THAILAND > Tom Tits Experiment, SÖDERTÄLJE, SWEDEN > Omeriye Ottoman Baths, NICOSIA, CYPRUS > Juminkeko Foundation, KUHMO, FINLAND > Hat Industry Museum, SAO JOAO DA MADEIRA, PORTUGAL
> Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM > International Cultural Center and Museum - IKM, OSLO, NORWAY > Museum of Natural Sciences, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
> Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Brentford -
> Museum of Literature Petofi, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
> National Museum of Iceland, REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
> Mr. Tjebbe van Tijen / Imaginary Museum Projects, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS > Netherlands Open Air Museum, ARNHEM, NETHERLANDS
> Big Pit, National Mining Museum of Wales, BLAENAFON, UK > Museum of Byzantine Culture, THESSALONIKI, GREECE
> The National Library of the Czech Republic, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC > Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL, LONDON, UK > Trøndelag Folkemuseum, Sverresborg, TRONDHEIM, NORWAY
> Casa Batlló - A. Gaudí, BARCELONA, SPAIN > Varusschlacht im Osnabrücker Land Museum und Park Kalkriese, KALKRIESE, GERMANY
> The Heathland Centre, LYGRA, NORWAY > Bauska Castle Museum, BAUSKA, LATVIA > Värmlands Museum, KARLSTAD, SWEDEN > The M. A. Sholokhov State MuseumReserve, VESHENSKAYA, RUSSIA > Locomotion: the National Railway Museum at Shildon, SHILDON, UK > Technical Museum, BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC > No 1 Pump Station, MUNDARING WEIR, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
> Stichting Monumentenzorg Curaçao, CURAÇAO, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
> Museum of Nature of Buryatiya, ULAN-UDE, RUSSIA
> Continuum Group, YORK, UK > Caesarea development corp. ltd., CAESAREA OLD CITY, ISRAEL
> Landesmuseum Joanneum / Kunsthaus Graz, GRAZ, AUSTRIA > Fremantle Prison - The Convict Establishment, FREMANTLE, WESTERN > Vapaavuori Architects / Pekka Vapaavuori AUSTRALIA > The James Putnam Organization > University of Art & Design Helsinki (UIAH), > Archaeological Museum of Alicante, Media Lab, HELSINKI, FINLAND ALICANTE, SPAIN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
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EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
> Trakya University Sultan Bayazid II Kulliye Health Care Museum, EDIRNE, TURKEY > The Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
> Joe Alon Center - The Museum of Bedouin Culture, ISRAEL > The House of Terror Museum, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
> Old Paper Mill Complex, WARSAW, POLAND > L›Arno Racconta, FLORENCE, ITALY > Landscape Park of the Secovlje SaltPans, PIRAN, SLOVENIA > Midt-Troms Museum, NORWAY > Museum of Folkart and Tradition, Spittal / DRAU, AUSTRIA
> Museums to Discover, Société des Musées Québécois, CANADA > The Avesta Works, SWEDEN > Varazdin City Museum : CD ROM Insects, VARAZDIN, CROATIA
> Zagreb City Museum : CD ROM The Dictates of the Time, ZAGREB, CROATIA > Desht-i-Art Centre - Minus Six. Exhibition about GULAG, Karaganda, KAZAKHSTAN > Museum of P.V. Kuznetsov - The Trace of the Garden, RUSSIA > The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, SPRINGFIELD, IL, USA > Domvs Romana project - Heritage Malta, RABAT, MALTA
> The Worker›s Museum, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
> Andrew Hunter: 11 Fishermen - Lalla Rookh: A poetic Archive > Antenna Audio International > Victoria and Albert Museum > Moderna Museet (STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN) > Canadian Museum of Nature > National Centre for Citizenship and the Law, Galleries of Justice, NOTTINGHAM > The Goulandris Natural History Museum GREECE
> Laténium, Park and Museum of Archaeology (HAUTERIVE, SWITZERLAND)
> Ærøskøbing, ÆR ISLAND, DENMARK > Museo del Aceite - EL LAGAR DEL MUDOEN SAN FELICES DE LOS GALLEGOS
> National Museum of Ireland - Museum of Country Life (MAYO, IRELAND) > Slovenski verski muzej > Western Australian Maritime Museum (AUSTRALIA)
> Museum of Textil And Clothing Industry (Textilmuseum) > The Karelian State Regional Museum (KARELIA, RUSSIA)
> Etnografski muzej Split > Buryat Historical Museum, ULAN-UDE, BURYATIA
> Shetland Amenity Trust > Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée (MARSEILLE, FRANCE) > Michael Pinsky: Exhibition PONTIS at Segedunum museum > The Chester Beatty Library, DUBLIN, IRELAND > Duna Museum - Danube Museum, ESZTERGOM, HUNGARY
> Almond Valley Heritage Trust, WEST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND, UK
> Buddenbrook-House, LÜBECK, GERMANY > Museum of Recent History Celje, CELJE, SLOVENIA
> Museum of Ceramics of Sacavém, LOURES, PORTUGAL
> Het Huis van Alijn, GENT, BELGIUM > Musée de la civilisation, QUÉBEC, CANADA > Rotorua Museum of Art and History, ROTORUA, NEW ZELAND
> Museum Rhein-Schauen, LUSTENAU, AUSTRIA > The Kierikki Stone Age Centre, YLI-II, FINLAND
> The Karl Ernst Osthaus Museum Hagen, HAGEN, GERMANY
> Imperial War Museum North, MANCHESTER, UK
> Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, ZAGREB, CROATIA
> Museu Paulista da Universidade de Sao Paulo, SAO PAULO, BRASIL
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 119
THE EXCELLENCE CLUB
> Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art,
THE EXCELLENCE CLUB
> Svendborg & Omegns Museum, SVENDBORG, DENMARK
> Alimentarium Food Museum, VEVEY, SWITZERLAND
> The Herring Era Museum, SIGLUFJÖRRUR,
Congratulations to the new members, projects presented at The Best in Heritage 2012 conference:
ICELAND
> James Putnam (the author of the book The Museum as Medium), LONDON, UK > Hellenic Cosmos, ATHENS, GREECE > National Railway Museum, YORK, UNITED KINGDOM
> Anne Frank House, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS > Zagreb City Museum, ZAGREB, CROATIA > Segedunum Roman Fort /Tyne and Wear Museums/, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UK > Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum, KRASNOYARSK, RUSSIA
> Lions Home, NICOSIA, CYPRUS > Theatre Museum, HELSINKI, FINLAND > Rushean Abbey - Manx National Heritage, ISLE OF MAN
> Coal Mine Museum, VELENJE, SLOVENIA > Hungarian Open Air Museum, SZENTENDRE, HUNGARY
> Science Museum, LONDON, UK > NS Dokumentationszentrum, KOELN, GERMANY
> J.M. Humbert: Review of the world's awarded projects by AVICOM > National Palace web site, TAIPEI, TAIWAN > L.N.Tolstoy Museum, YASNAYA POLYANA, RUSSIA
> Space City, TOULOUSE, FRANCE > La Piscine, Museum of Art and Industry, ROUBAIX, FRANCE
> Haus der Musik, WIENNA, AUSTRIA > Runkelstein Castle, BOZEN /BOLZANO, ITALY > Liverpool Football Club Museum and Tour Centre, LIVERPOOL, UK > Visions form museums, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN > Gernika Peace Museum, Basque Country, SPAIN
> Damir Fabijaniæ: Dubrovnik before and after - a photographer's view > Julian Walker (presentation of art projects) 120 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
> Gallo-Romeins Museum, TONGEREN, BELGIUM / EUROPEAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR AWARD 2011
> Historic Building Conservation Programme – Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, CHICHESTER, UK / EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING (GRAND PRIX)
> The State Textile and Industry Museum (TIM), AUGSBURG, GERMANY / MICHELETTI AWARD 2011
> The Kizhi State Open-Air Museum of Cultural History and Architecture, PETROZAVODSK, RUSSIA / INTERMUSEUM 2011 GRAND PRIX
> New Acropolis Museum, ATHENS, GREECE / AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS 2011, HONOR AWARD
> 4 grada Dragodid – Preserving Dry-Stone Masonry Techniques of the Eastern Adriatic, KOMIŽA, CROATIA / EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESSRAISING
> The Intan, SINGAPORE / MUSEUM ROUNDTABLE AWARD FOR BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE 2011
> Antwerp Central Station, ANTWERP, BELGIUM / EU PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - CONSERVATION (GRAND PRIX)
> Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology and Medicine, OSLO, NORWAY / NORWEGIAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011
> Museu do Papel, Santa Maria da Feira, PORTUGAL / BEST PORTUGUESE MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011
> Baojiatun Watermill in Guizhou Province, China / UNESCO ASIA-PACIFIC HERITAGE AWARDS FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2011 / AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
NETHERLANDS / SILLETTO PRIZE 2011
> MuseoTorino, TORINO, ITALY / ICOM ITALIA AWARD FOR BEST COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT
COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL THE EXCELLENCE CLUB MEMBERS ENCLOSED WITH LINKS TO THEIR WEB DOMAINS CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.THEBESTINHERITAGE.COM/EXCELLENCECLUB/MEMBERS/ AND THE CLUB’S NEW WEBSITE: WWW.EXCELLENCE-CLUB.ORG
THE EXCELLENCE CLUB
> Watersnoodmuseum, OWERKERK,
> Swedish Air Force Museum, LINKÖPING, SWEDEN / SWEDISH MUSEUM OF THE YEAR 2011
> Heart for People's Cafes, in Flanders and Brussels, GHENT, BELGIUM / EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING WINNER
> Glasnevin Cemetary Museum, DUBLIN, IRELAND / MUSEUMS+HERITAGE 2011, INTERNATIONAL AWARD & THEA OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2011
> Museum of Broken Relationships, ZAGREB, CROATIA / KENNETH HUDSON AWARD 2011
> Sumda Chun Gonpa, LEH, INDIA / UNESCO ASIAPACIFIC HERITAGE AWARDS FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2011 / AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
> Neues Museum, BERLIN, GERMANY / EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE / MIES VAN DER ROHE AWARD 2011
> “Brothers and Sisters”- Streetmuseum, Museum of London, LONDON, UK / AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, JIM BLACKABY INGENUITY MEMBER'S PLAQUE
AWARD
> Church of St. George, SHIPCKA, ALBANIA / EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011 - CONSERVATION (MEMBERS CHOICE AWARD)
> National Archives of Australia, CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA / UNESCO/JIKJI MEMORY OF THE WORLD PRIZE 2011
> "In Search of the Canadian Car" Canada Science and Technology Museum, OTTAWA, CANADA / DIBNER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSEUM EXHIBITS 2011
> Artzuid – Sculptures and Architecture in Amsterdam, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS / EU PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARD 2011, CONSERVATION
THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 121
A WORD FROM OUR PARTNER
The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe
EUROPA NOSTRA represents a rapidly growing citizens’ movement for the safeguarding of Europe’s cultural and natural heritage. Its extensive network covers almost 50 countries in Europe and beyond. Its pan-European network is composed of 250 member organisations (heritage associations and foundations with a combined membership of more than 5 million people), 150 associate organisations (governmental bodies, local authorities and corporations) and also 1500 individual members who directly support the The awards are supported by the European mission of Europa Nostra. Commission in the framework of the EU Culture Programme. It has been organised by Europa Nostra’s main activities are: Europa Nostra since 2002.
1. to celebrate and promote excellence through the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards
This Awards Scheme aims to promote high standards and high-quality skills in conservation practice, and to stimulate the transfrontier exchanges in the area of heritage. By spreading the ‘Power of Example’, the The European Union Prize for Cultural Her- Awards also aim to encourage further efforts itage / Europa Nostra Awards celebrate ex- and projects related to heritage throughout cellence in cultural heritage conservation, Europe. ranging from the restoration of buildings and their adaptation to new uses, to urban and rural landscape rehabilitation, archaeological site interpretations, and care for art collections. Moreover, it highlights research, dedicated service to heritage conservation by individuals or organisations and education, training and raising awareness projects related to cultural heritage. 122 › THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012
Acting as a true European cultural heritage lobby, Europa Nostra seeks to secure adequate support for cultural heritage in various areas of European policy-making and funding. It thus advocates the need to take cultural heritage concerns in due consideration when formulating and implementing all European and national policies which have an impact - direct or indirect - on heritage. Europa Nostra also seeks to highlight the 4. to animate a network importance and the specific character of of cultural heritage cultural heritage within the wider cultural and policy agenda of important international stakeholders in Europe partners: namely the European Union, the Europa Nostra serves as a platform for exCouncil of Europe and UNESCO. changes between various stakeholders concerned with heritage conservation, education, research, communication and interpretation. It enables heritage professionals, volunteers and supporters from all over Europe and beyond to meet, debate and inspire each other. It also engages with a wider range of stakeholders, be they policy makers, other European or international networks related to heritage, students and young heritage professionals or the public at large.
3. to save Europe’s historic monuments, sites and cultural landscapes which are in danger Europa Nostra campaigns against the many threats to Europe’s cultural heritage. When monuments or sites are in danger by uncontrolled development, environmental change, neglect or conflict, Europa Nostra raises its voice. Cooperation and solidarity between heritage organisations and activists are vital to ensure that witnesses of our past are here to enjoy today and in the future.
Share your knowledge, experience and enthusiasm - Join us! www.europanostra.org THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 › 123
A WORD FROM OUR PARTNER
2. to act as a representative lobby for cultural heritage in Europe
EXPONATEC COLOGNE
EXPONATEC Cologne 2013 (PARALLEL TO THE TRADE FAIR COLOGNE FINE ART & ANTIQUES) NOVEMBER 20-22, 2013 HALL 3 OF KOELNMESSE
Taking place every two years, EXPONATEC COLOGNE has established itself over the past few years as a significant information and discussion platform for the international museum industry. From November 20-22, 2013, industry experts will meet again in Cologne to exchange knowledge and discuss concepts and strategies. Over 240 exhibitors will present a unique range of offerings. As well as focal topics such as methods of conservation, restoration and material research, the international specialist trade fair for museums, conservation and cultural heritage offers an overview of the various service offerings in the world of museums. These range from visitor research, publicity work and museum shops to logistics, administrative needs and personnel services. Presentation technology and exhibition design round off the range of offerings. One example for this is the integration of the special EXPOCASE show, a platform for visualizing exhibition design of the future in a predetermined three-dimensional format. This appeals in particular to design companies and high schools. The exhibitor structure covers all areas of the multi-facetted market. On top of manufacturers and service providers, distributors, associations, wholesalers and importers also use EXPONATEC as a business platform. Visitors are therefore offered a well-founded and compact overview of the industry.
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The trade fair is accompanied by a specialist congress which is attended by high-caliber guests and offers lectures and discussions oriented towards the respective target group. The exchange of competence between industry experts and the professional handling of cultural heritage at the highest level are also the basis for the cooperation of EXPONATEC COLOGNE with “Best in Heritage”, which was established in 2006. On the one hand, this fruitful cooperation enables winners of the annual “Best in Heritage” competition to present their projects, concepts or institutions from the areas of museums, restoration and cultural heritage together with other selected participants of the “Best in Heritage Excellence Club” to the international audience of EXPONATEC and the specialist press. On the other hand, the award-winning best practice projects offer the visitors to EXPONATEC excellent orientation in terms of quality and provide the industry with stateof-the-art insight into current museum and conservation work. The constant rise in the exhibitor and visitor figures over the past years is proof that the professional focus and the high quality standards of EXPONATEC COLOGNE strike a chord with the industry. On the exhibitor side, the trade fair has recorded a growth of 24% since 2007. A growth of 75% in visitor numbers within the same period corresponds with this. Almost a quarter of exhibi-
EXPONATEC COLOGNE
cultural representatives, these are two reasons to return to Cologne in November 2013. Last but not least, with its history reaching back over 2,000 years, its world-famous Cathedral and a wide cultural offering with The trade fair displays positive synergy ef- numerous renowned museums of various fects which do not only relate to visitor num- orientation, Cologne presents numerous atbers through Cologne Fine Art & Antiques, tractions even after the trade fair has closed. the trade fair which takes place in parallel for Ancient Art, Modern Art, Applied Art, Design Information about EXPONATEC COLOGNE and recently also for Works on Paper. For and all required registration documents can many international market participants and be downloaded at www.exponatec.de
COPYRIGHT KOELNMESSE.DE
tors come from abroad. In 2011, the trade fair welcomed exhibitors from 17 countries – further evidence of the international interest in the event.
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Message from Plácido Domingo, President of Europa Nostra Cultural heritage is the Heart and the Soul of Europe. It is vital for the beauty and for the quality of our life, for our sense of belonging and our sense of pride and enjoyment. Our shared cultural heritage helps us to enhance a feeling of togetherness and community within the wider European family. Cultural heritage is Europe’s unique resource, our true gold mine. It is essential for our economy and for the future of Europe. We now need you to help us protect it and transmit it in good shape to future generations. We must never take our cultural heritage for granted. Try indeed to imagine Europe without our cultural heritage. Try to imagine our cities and countryside without our historical buildings, without our parks and monuments, without our paintings, our music or without our delicious cuisine. We should also never forget that cultural heritage belongs to each and everyone of us. We are all responsible for it. We are all part of this living heritage, of this great story, this marvellous adventure of human creativity.
I therefore invite you to support EUROPA NOSTRA, the largest European cultural heritage organisation. Become a member or an individual or corporate benefactor. We need your involvement and engagement. * We need your support to share and celebrate best heritage achievements. * We need your support to save endangered monuments, sites and landscapes. * We need your support to lobby for European and national policies which will help to keep our cultural heritage safe and relevant for future generations. EUROPA NOSTRA is the Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe and I am proud to be its President. I invite you all to support our cause and to join our movement.
Plácido Domingo PRESIDENT OF EUROPA NOSTRA THE VOICE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN EUROPE
www.europanostra.org
GOOD REASONS
Š Ningbo Museum / ICOM 2011
TO JOIN
BE PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM COMMUNITY CONNECT with 30,000 world-class museum experts BUILD a strong international professional network in every museum-related speciality
BROADEN your horizons with over 200 conferences organised yearly around the globe PARTICIPATE in the extensive programme at the Triennial General Conference
BENEFIT FROM ICOM SERVICES GET INSIGHT ON trends and innovation in museums
thanks to ICOM News, the magazine for museum professionals, and monthly electronic newsletters
SEARCH more than 2,000 publications by ICOM's Committees through the online publications database
STAY CONNECTED with ICOMMUNITY, ICOM's brand-new interactive online platform
JOIN any of ICOM's 31 International Committees
and make your voice heard
SETTLE your art and cultural heritage disputes through the ICOM-WIPO mediation procedure
THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS
GET INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS SHAPE the future of the museum profession ADVOCATE museum standards of excellence and museum ethics
PLAY A ROLE in the fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods
COOPERATE in emergency preparedness
and response actions in museums worldwide
SUPPORT museums in fulfilling their missions
H NEFITS WIT OTHER BE Y N A M D N A HIP MEMBERS ent YOUR ICOM l developm na io ss fe ro p d an Training es s opportuniti nal entry pas ur internatio yo : d ar C ICOM e s worldwid ps and to museum useum sho l rates to m ia nt re fe re P publications
check th formation, For more in .museum http://icom
e website
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EUROPEAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF A NEW WEBSITE IN NOVEMBER 2012:
Excellence Club Dubrovnik, Croatia
The Best in Heritage has a role to make the information about all projects presented at the conferences more accessible to a wider public, beyond the circle of professionals. Therefore, we start this new promotional platform, which will be a unique and free way for them to assure wider exposure and presence on the Internet. Excellence Club members will have a chance to promote their activities, announce upcoming events, comment on recent ones, and make interesting media material available on-line. We insist on creative, lively and attractive approach, open and inviting to the rising public of heritage aficionados and heritage tourists.
www.excellence-club.org
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The Best in Heritage in partnership with Europa Nostra under special patronage of ICOM
The world's only survey of awarded museum, heritage and conservation projects MAIN PARTNER
SPECIAL PATRON
MAIN PATRONS
The City of Dubrovnik
PATRONS AND SPONSORS
WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA AND EUROPEAN COMMISSION:
SUPPORTED BY:
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THE BEST IN HERITAGE © EUROPEAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
ADVISORY BOARD:
based in Zagreb is non-governmental, nonprofit organisation, member of Europa Nostra, dedicated to promoting every aspect of professional excellence in heritage professions and doing it “by power of example”. The Association is tiny and will grow only through its own programme and those who assist it. “The Best in Heritage” and “Excellence Club” are our foremost activities.
Mr John Sell, United Kingdom, Chairman john@sellwade.co.uk Mr Willem De Vos, Belgium, Member wim.vmv@hotmail.com Ms Goranka Horjan, Croatia, Member goranka.horjan@mhz.hr Mr Hartmut Prasch, Austria, Member h.prasch@spittal-drau.at Mr Vladimir Ilych Tolstoy, Russia, Member yaspol@tgk.tolstoy.ru Mr Stephen Harrison, Isle of Man, Honorary member heritage@manx.net Mr Frans Schouten, Netherlands, Honorary Member frans@didifrans.nl
SECRETARIAT:
European Heritage Association / The Best In Heritage Trg kralja Petra Krešimira IV, No.7 HR - 10000 Zagreb, Croatia DIRECTOR:
Professor Tomislav Šola director@thebestinheritage.com Tel / Fax: +385 1 455 04 24 mobile phone: +385 98 468 158 PROJECT MANAGER:
Mr Luka Cipek org.secretary@thebestinheritage.com Tel / Fax: +385 1 77 88 248 mobile phone: +385 91 525 04 77
PUBLISHED BY
European Heritage Association / The Best In Heritage Trg kralja Petra Krešimira IV 7, Zagreb, Croatia www.thebestinheritage.com www.excellence-club.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Professor Tomislav S. Šola EDITOR
Luka Cipek FRONT COVER
Tino Stanièiæ / All rights reserved tino.du@gmail.com LAYOUT
Kunazlatica, www.kunazlatica.com ISBN 978-953-56836-1-2 A CIP CATALOGUE RECORD FOR THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FROM THE NATIONAL AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARY IN ZAGREB UNDER 778434 ZAGREB, 2012.
COPYRIGHT THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2012 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ISBN 978-953-56836-1-2
The City of Dubrovnik