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SPECIAL REPORT Accessibility

HERITAGE IN DANGER Mediation

BEST PRACTICES Digitising collections

T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O U N C I L O F M U S E U M S M A G A Z I N E V O L 6 4 N O 2 j U Ly 2 0 1 1

ICOM news

2 ICOMNEWS | N°2 2011 N°2 2011 | ICOMNEWS 3

The three days were enjoyable, constructive and provided much inspiration, with three talking points in the museum field taking centre stage: sustainable development; ethics; and research, training and publications. For the first time at ICOM’s annual meetings, Advisory Committee Thematic Panels were organised with a view to providing an overview of the current situation within the international museum community in relation to these three topics. Proposals were formulated and presented by the group moderators, and will be examined in detail to help ICOM and the world museum community develop appropriate actions for the future. On 8 June, the General Assembly adopted unanimously the organisation’s new Strategic Plan 2011 – 2013 (see p. 19).

The last couple of months have also seen the launch of a new mediation programme, co-developed by ICOM and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) with a view to resolving tricky, long-standing restitution disputes, as well as another highly successful International Museum Day. The record participation of 30,000 museums in 100 countries in this event is a testament to ICOM’s increasing efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion.

We call on you, ICOM members and museum professionals, to maximise your museum’s potential in inclusion and accessibility matters, and to start preparing International Museum Day 2012 – Museums in a changing world – in this spirit.

Hans-Martin Hinz Julien AnfrunsICOM President ICOM Director General

igher visitor numbers and greater diversity in museums have prompted much dialogue on inclusion and accessibility in recent times. This increasing

diversity is forcing the museum to re-examine its accessibility policies and offer more choices to non-traditional publics, including visitors with disabilities, those from lower income groups, or marginalised ethnic and age groups. Disadvantaged publics encounter physical and attitudinal barriers on a constant basis, and museums can develop approaches that can make a difference to their lives through specific programming, training and activities. Modern technology has much to offer in the form of assisted listening devices and multi-media guides, for instance, but this is only half the battle. A greater challenge lies in changing attitudes and the effective integration of these publics within the museum.

In this era of fundamental social change, we must open our minds, embrace new ideas, and truly consider what the role of the museum is today and how it can encourage inclusion. One of the major development areas in ICOM’s newly adopted Strategic Plan 2011 – 2013 is the promotion of inclusiveness, which demonstrates the commitment of our organisation and the world museum community as a whole to embracing the growing diversity of our public. See our Special Report p. 10 – 14 in this issue for an in-depth discussion of the status quo in museum accessibility.

From 6 to 8 June, ICOM members came together for the organisation’s annual meetings.

H 4Museum NewsEvents, openings and more

6Best PracticesDigitising the collection

8In FocusMuseum and Memory

10Special Report: AccessibilityThe quest for inclusionArt with feelingThe museum melting pot

16Heritage in DangerThe ICOM-WIPO mediation programme

18ICOM Annual Meetings 2011Museums in action

20ICOM CommunityThe ICOM network’s activities

22PublicationsNew museum-related literature

ICOM PRESIDENT Hans-Martin Hinz

DIRECTOR GENERAL Julien Anfruns

PUBLICATION DIRECTOR Nadine Amorim

EDITOR IN CHIEF Aedín Mac Devitt

DESIGN AND LAYOUT pamela@whoexec

TRANSLATIONChristopher Pitts

CONTRIBUTOR Léa Buadas Fleuriot

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Noémie Hadjedj

PRINTING Solink, 75012 Paris

©ICOM ISSN 1020-6418COVER IMAGE © NATIONAL MuSEuM OF KOrEA

ICOM Maison de l’uNESCO1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 France Tel +33 1 47 34 05 00 Fax + 33 1 43 06 78 62 [email protected] http://icom.museum

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

This work programme has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Next issueIn Focus: Museum and MemorySpecial Report: EducationBest Practices: Fundraising

If you wish to contribute to the next issue of ICOM News, please contact Aedín Mac Devitt at [email protected] for details.

EDITORIAL

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philanthropic organisation The A. G. Leventis Foundation to the Natural History Museum of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, the museum’s new complex (pictured) was officially opened on 25 February. On this occasion, Dr A. P. Leventis, Chairman of the Leventis Foundation, spoke of the key role the museum plays in species preservation through environmental science research and the training of future leaders

in sustainable management of a country’s natural resources. A structure was first built in 1971 to house the Natural History Museum, but remained unfinished. The museum staff and collections had been temporarily moved to another department on the university campus in the early 2000s.

PeopleReal estate developer Daniel Brodsky (pictured) was elected Chairman of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art on 10 May in a vote by the museum’s board. He succeeds James R. Houghton, who retired 13 March after 13 years as Chairman. Brodsky,

one of the museum’s trustees since 2001, is an important player in the city’s cultural scene, also serving as a trustee of the New York City Ballet. He will take up his new position, one of the most prestigious in the New York arts world, on 13 September.

Edward Dolman will join the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) after more than 27 years as a manager at Christie’s, the world’s leading auctioning house. Dolman will take up the position of Executive Director for the office of board Chairperson, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. QMA describes its mission as “to develop, promote and sustain museums, art and heritage at the highest global standards for community engagement, education, and enjoyment in Qatar and beyond.” Dolman will oversee a network of museums in Doha and will be responsible for the preservation of the QMA’s collections, new acquisitions and cultural promotion. He will take up office in September 2011.

RestitutionThe city of Berlin announced that it will return an antique sphinx to Turkey. The piece, which dates back to the Bronze Age, was discovered in 1915 by German architects in the ancient Hittite city of Hattusha in Turkey. It has since been held at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The German Minister of Culture announced that the date of return is set for November 2011, which marks the 25th anniversary of Hattusha’s addition to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

A Gandhara Buddha stolen from the National Museum in Kabul in the 1990s will finally be returned to Afghanistan, its country of origin. It had become part of a private collection in Japan and was recently purchased by an anonymous buyer who worked with the British Museum in order to repatriate this antiquity. Until 17 July, this statue, which represents the Buddha performing a miracle, with flames emerging from his shoulders and water flowing at his feet, will be on display at the British Museum as part of an exhibition on Afghan art. Once the exhibition has ended, it will be returned to its permanent home in the Kabul museum.

The Metropolitan Police in London, UK, has handed over the hat and sword that belonged to Sir Roger Casement, a diplomat and Irish nationalist, to the National Museum of Ireland, Collins’ Barracks. These pieces have been in the police’s possession since Casement was arrested in 1916 at Banna Strand, Co Kerry. Sir Casement wore the same sword and hat when he was knighted in 1911 by King George V. On 10 March, 2011, at a reception at the Irish Embassy in London, the Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Commissioner John Yates presented the items to Pat Wallace, Director of the National Museum of Ireland. According to The Irish Times, Irish Ambassador to Britain, Bobby McDonagh, commented that the life and career of Sir Roger Casement has long been representative of the close and complex relationship between Britain and Ireland.

On 10 June, 2011, the Canadian Government returned to the Republic of Bulgaria a total of 21,000 archaeological objects, thanks to the work of national authorities. The objects were seized as they were being illegally imported into Canada. The artefacts were returned during a ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in the presence of the Bulgarian Minister of Culture Mr Vezhdi Rashidov (pictured, right) and UNESCO Director General Ms Irina Bokova. The seizure and return of the illegally imported cultural objects, which cover more than 2,600 years of Bulgarian history, was the largest ever witnessed in Canada. The collection

includes Hellenistic, Roman, Macedonian, Byzantine, Bulgarian, and Ottoman antiquities. Canadian customs officials initially detained two packages containing cultural property sent by post from Bulgaria. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police then launched an investigation culminating in the seizure of 21,000 objects. Minister of Canadian Heritage James Moore (pictured, left) said that the “return of the items to their country of origin demonstrates Canada’s commitment to prevent trafficking in cultural property and recover illegally imported goods”. n

MUSEUM NEWS

European Museum of the Year 2011

EventsThe cultural collections of Yale University, US, are now available in digital format, free of charge. Visitors will enjoy free access to millions of images of objects from the museum, archive, and library collections. At present, over 250,000 images are available in a collective catalogue. No license will be required for the transmission of these images and no limitations are imposed upon their use. Specialists, artists, and students from around the world will be able to use this database for research, publication, and teaching. Yale’s collections are among the most comprehensive of any academic institution in the world.

Heritage in DangerICOM, together with its sister organisation the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS), currently chaired by Julien Anfruns, is organising the first ICBS international conference, to be held in Seoul, South Korea from 8 – 10 December 2011. The conference, which will be hosted by the National Museum of Korea, will be an important international event dealing with the protection of heritage under threat under the theme: Protecting the World’s Cultural Heritage in Times of Change: Emergency Preparedness and Response. The event will bring together professionals and experts from various heritage-related fields from all over the world to discuss and exchange ideas and case studies on the major issues related to heritage protection in the aftermath of natural disasters, conflict and emergency situations.

A series of thefts of rhinoceros horns have been perpetrated

in several different European museums. In March, a rhinoceros horn from 1830, with an estimated value in the tens of thousands of euros, was stolen from the Natural History Museum in Rouen, France. Other thefts from small hunting museums have since taken place in many countries. According to INTERPOL, those responsible are organised gangs who first scout out different galleries and then break in to steal real rhinoceros horns (pictured). Pedro Casaleiro, Head of Exhibitions and Collections at the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra, Portugal, recommends that museums in possession of such objects should pay particular attention to them, as these thefts are continuing worldwide.

OpeningsThe National Museum of China opened its doors last March in Beijing after three years of renovation and expansion. It is now the second-largest museum in the world after the Louvre. The museum is located east of Tiananmen Square in the Dongcheng District of central Beijing. According to the official website, the permanent collection now includes over one million pieces on display in two permanent history exhibitions, divided into pre- and post-Opium War China.

Thanks to a donation of £468,000 (€525,298) made by


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The Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium was the winner of this year’s European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA). The

prestigious award was presented on 21 May, 2011 at the German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven, the winner of last year’s EMYA.

The EMYA was first launched by the European Museum Forum (EMF) in 1977 and has been judging European museums ever since. Operating under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the award has developed significantly over the years and 47 members states are now entitled to apply. Forty museums applied this year, of which 34 were nominated. The museums are assessed on factors such as public quality, professional excellence and innovative projects.

The Judging Panel travelled extensively throughout Europe in order to visit all 40 museum candidates. The Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, an archaeological museum that dates back to the middle of the 19th century, captured the judges’ hearts. The museum’s collection holds an estimated 170,000 objects, with the permanent exhibition containing 2,300 items. The collection contains tangible evidence of Neanderthals and the first Homo sapiens; tools and gold coins that illustrate the social stratification which began in the Iron Age; and architectural fragments and sophisticated jewellery from the beginning of the Christian era.

In a statement, the EMYA Judging Panel said that the Gallo-Roman Museum (Gallo-Romeins Museum) “does not shy away from the task of dealing with uncertainty, and the presentations guide the audience through the issues but do not assert firm conclusions.” In social terms, they highlighted the museum’s commitment in terms of its role in the local economy and in education, for which it has provided excellent facilities.

The EMF also honoured the Museum of Broken Relationships (Musej Prekinutih Veza) in Zagreb, Croatia with the Kenneth Hudson Award, for its reflection on the fragility of human relationships and the surround-ing political, social and cultural circumstances. Meanwhile, the Silletto Prize, founded in the memory of former Chair of the Manx National Heritage agency, Reginald Silletto, was given to the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum) in Owerkerk, Netherlands for its imagination and cour-age in converting the site of a national tragedy into a museum.

An interactive hunting scene at the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium

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The Five ‘W’s: identify your contentIdentifying your content is one of the preliminary steps to solving many outstanding legal issues. Who is the author of the content: is it an individual or was it created on behalf of a museum? Who owns the rights to the content at issue? What is the subject represented in the content? Is it an art object, personal or controversial content? When was the content created? Is the content historic so that it might not trigger high risk? Where was the content created and where is the content being uploaded? Whose laws might apply to determine risk? Why are you digitising and making content available on the internet? Is the purpose educa-tional, research-related or commercial in intent?

Analyse your contentIn the context of your Five ‘W’s, what legal risks might your content raise? Most often, digitised content made available on the internet raises copyright, privacy or publicity issues. In many countries, the right to manipulate someone else’s content may become a moral rights issue. Copyright laws require that you seek permission from the copyright owner to reproduce, alter and communicate the content. Privacy laws may protect the subject of the content from having his or her private information made available by a government museum, or any third party, to the public. Publicity rights allow a famous person to control the likeness of their image.

Document your contentOnce you have identified your content and analysed it for potential legal issues, document your findings and decisions about risk in a way similar to cata-loguing your objects. This creates a record of your research that adds to the metadata about the objects in the collection. It will ensure that your work is not lost and most importantly, it will allow the museum to make risk-related decisions consistently, thereby minimising future risk.

ASK THE EXPErTS

Rina Elster Pantalony is faculty at the Tisch School for the Arts, Department of Cinema Studies, Moving Image and Archive Preservation Program, New York University, and counsel to the Canadian Heritage Information Network as a lawyer with the Department of Justice Canada. She outlines some of the legal issues museums should consider when creating and hosting digitised content

Digitising the collection


wire frames and the designs, v&A’s internal collections and documentation teams were working to make the data available. In the meantime, the technology teams were busy building the site. “We built two applications: one for searching and information, and the other for the design,” explains Morgan. To bridge the gap of knowledge between the agency, who lack curatorial expertise, and the curators, who are not up to speed with design, regular meetings were scheduled. representatives from the main depart-ments in the museum were involved to bring different perspectives on what the overall result might look like.

Open source was the technology of choice for Search the Collections. The museum used two web frameworks: Django, which powers the Application Programming Interface (API) or the engine application in layman’s terms; and Symfony, which powers the front-end design. Sphinx was used for the search application, the same tool used by global online community website, Craigslist. “It was appropriate for us to use open source solutions, partly because of the cost but also because they are more flexible in terms of what we wanted to do,” explains Morgan. “With open source, we were able to avoid being locked in by one particular vendor, and by the time we were in the planning stages of this project a lot of the major open source frameworks were maturing and were being used on serious large-scale websites.”

v&A also tapped into the community revolution by setting up a crowdsourcing operation, where it invites the public to suggest photo crops. In contrast to many museums, v&A actively encour-ages visitors to take photos inside the museum and as a result many quality photos end up on photosharing sites such as Flickr. The crowdsourcing initiative has helped to increase the quality of the images provided, while also involving the public and getting them interested in the museum, says Morgan.

Search the Collections has already had a positive impact on website traffic. The taxonomy system used means that all items are linked together in a much more explicit and descriptive way. Pages are therefore more accessible to both machines and humans. “When we launched Search the Collections there was an initial large increase in traffic simply because we put so many more records online. But we found that it increased by about a third again just as people were getting used to using the site.”

The user profileMore than 70% of visitors are now reaching the site through a google search, but not always by searching for v&A. Identifying the user profile is more challenging. For instance, v&A is particularly interested in engaging the creative industries, and to do that successfully it uses analytical tools in combination with usability testing, where members of these industries are asked for feedback on the museum’s main website. According to Morgan, this helps to build a richer picture of the typical user and how they interact with the website.

The reaction to Search the Collections has so far been encouraging. Members

of the public have written applications for android phones and the iphone, which illustrates that there are many technically minded people out

there who are enthusiastic about art and culture. In addition, v&A and The Other Media took away the Special Award for Accessibility and usability at the 2010 BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) Awards for the Search the Collections website.

v&A is clearly embracing the digital revolution with open arms and it seems to be paying off. richard Morgan sums up: “The museum can’t be an island anymore. People are out there interacting with our objects, and the right thing to do is to embrace that positively rather than pretend it’s not happening.” n

D igitising collections is one of the biggest challenges facing cultural institutions today. Initiatives such

as google Art Project and Wikipedia Loves Art prove that the world at large is taking a greater interest in culture, and the opportu-nity that this presents for museums is both exciting and daunting.

Many are embracing these possibilities by presenting their collections in attractive and innovative ways on their websites. And beyond online digital representations of their content, museums are finding additional platforms in the form of social media, blogs and interactive online exhibitions. The victoria and Albert Museum in London, uK, is a pioneer in digital development. As the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, v&A houses a permanent collection of more than 4.5 million objects, representing almost 3,000 years worth of artefacts. Its advanced website has been in place for many years, with a new version released in April, but just over a year ago the museum developed a dedicated website to searching its extensive collections.

Sharing the collectionsThe decision to put its entire catalogue online through the Search the Collections website was largely a question of space and accessi-bility. richard Morgan, Technology Manager at v&A explains: “We had all this informa-tion about the objects and felt strongly that it should be available to the public rather than being locked behind closed doors, especially given that there is not enough

room in the museum to display all the objects.” Where previously v&A published only a selected number of records from its catalogue, all records are published on Search the Collections, which means that the database is a constant work in progress.

The project is part of v&A’s strategy to reach out to virtual visitors from all around the world, rather than serving a research-oriented public only. “We wanted to cater for people who just need inspiration or to find resources online and then reuse them,” says Morgan.

Today, Search the Collections holds one million records, 170,000 of which have attached images and text that the creators have written. As distinct from a catalogue record, these tend to be more interpretive and explanatory. Although efforts were made to ensure the consistency of records, the museum did not want to restrict itself by

imposing strict standards. “We wanted to put as much information out there as possible. Some records will be of a higher quality than others [and we’re comfortable with that as a museum] but items are basically catalogued in the same way so there’s some consistency across the board,” says Morgan.

Enhancing the experiencev&A tackled the project with a combination of teamwork and outsourcing. The overall design of the site was outsourced to an agency called The Other Media, an award-winning digital agency based in London. v&A had already collaborated with The Other Media to develop its main website, and the two came together once again with the common objective of updating and enhancing the web experience for visitors to the museum and the general public.

While The Other Media delivered the

Today, more than 70% of visitors are reaching

the site through a Google search

BEST PRACTICES TECHNOLOgy

the Victoria and albert museum is embracing the digital age with its Search the collections projectby aedín mac Devitt

This article represents the author’s own views and does not necessarily represent the views or position of the Department of Justice Canada or the government of Canada.

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Despite today’s high-tech means of preserving memory, traditional methods remain importantOne of the most important challenges

of our time is ensuring sustainable practices and development in

environmental and social contexts. In the context of museums, sustainability and sustainable development should take on additional meanings in terms of these insti-tutions’ missions to preserve memory. New patterns of sustainability can be applied to museums’ practices today.

The concept of sustainable development originated in the united Nations Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future (1987), otherwise known as the Brundtland Report. The uN created this report with a view to developing ideas to help save the environ-ment and to create a fair balance between developed and developing countries. The Brundtland Repor t was fo l lowed by the uN Conference on Env i ronment and Development (rio 1992). In the same year, International Museum Day was assigned a specific theme for the first time – Museums and Environment.

This theme began to inspire museo-logists who dedicated themselves to the tasks of environmental care and societal development. In this context, museums can be seen as institutions that help to foster or develop awareness of the need to change people s attitudes to the environment, in particular in terms of biodiversity, energy politics, and poor social conditions in some countries.

The three main aspects of sustainable development are environment, economy and society. Although museums are undoubtedly committed to sustainability in

general, their specific tasks do not address environmental sustainability. Instead, these tasks focus on preserving the memory of societies, communities and different knowl-edge areas.

The social aspectThe effective preservation of memory is essential to maintaining satisfactory societal conditions. A second wave of sustain-ability discourse is therefore important for museology and our museums, placing an important focus on societal aspects, and in particular memory and identity. Memory and cultural heritage are key elements of wellbeing and the ability to maintain and reflect on traditions and identities in order to shape the future. Work carried out in

preser v ing memor y should be integrated into each vision of this planet that is connected with the paradigm of sustain-ability and sustainable development, fostering a

worldwide cosmopolitan sensus communis that considers heritage and cultural diversity as important as biodiversity.

So what additional form can sustainability and sustainable development take in the museum landscape today?

viewed in the context of inter-generational justice, the Brundtland Report considers sustainability as having an intertwined double-time structure. According to the report, sustainable development ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

Museums’ tasks also have a double-time structure. In their specific context,

exhibitions, programming, presentations, publications and websites relate to the ‘needs of the present’ referred to in the Brundtland Report. Meanwhile, today’s systematic collecting and safeguarding of objects or documents as well as modern research methods result in long-lasting memory, making it possible for future generations ‘to meet their own needs’.

Applying sustainability Connecting the standard and essential tasks of museums with the vision of a glo-balised world through patterns of sustain-able development can help museums to increase visibility of their growing role within society. Applying sustainability to museums also embeds the concept deeper into differ-ent aspects of society, making sustainability a more ubiquitous value much sooner than expected. According to Karl-Werner Brand, consultant, author and lecturer in the field of sustainability research, the concept of sus-tainable development needs the continuous symbolic enactment of its key ideas, and the embedding of their linguistic and visual sym-bolisations in public communication and rel-evant discourses.

Providing the public with knowledge of times gone by and interpreting the importance of preserving the tangible and intangible witnesses of the past through sustainable practices is not only a pre-requisite for traditions and identities, but part of our responsibility to future generations. n

the sustainability of memorythe role of museums in

preserving collective memory through sustainable practices

by Lothar Jordan, Hermann Hettner Visiting Professor of museology, technical University Dresden, germany

IN FOCUS MuSEuM AND MEMOry

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Applying sustainability to museums embeds the

concept into different aspects of society

alternative ways of thinking and living, and of course, memories. Ideally, these memories differ from the expectations of visitors and open their minds to new ideas. For example, visitors can appreciate first-hand the knowl-edge and dexterity that Stone Age civilisations required to produce their flintstone tools, or the importance of community spirit in those times, or indeed the cruelty or anxiety experienced during a medieval battle.

So how do the archaeological open air museums create these memories? They create a holistic image based on the visitors’ senses: visual, audio and sense of smell. The written word is of less importance than it is in a history museum, for instance.

When visitors are included in activities such as theatre or arts and crafts, the experience is intensified and memories are more lucid. In this type of setting, subliminal messages can easily be transported. They can

suggest ways to live without any explanation or alternative. It is therefore museums’ respon-sibility to be aware of these messages, and if necessary, to revise their presentation.

The main challenge lies in helping visitors find new ways to explore a complex past and to ask questions that help them understand the present, thus generating ideas for the future.

Archaeological open air museums have a special relationship with memory. Although they sometimes offer a more creative and artistic interpretation of the past, they are useful in linking the reality of the past with the present context. In addition, they can offer visitors an alternative view of the world and help them to find answers not only to the questions of ‘who would we like to have been in the past?’ but also ‘who do we want to be in the future?’ n

As distinct from history, archaeology deals with a long-gone past of which we have no personal memory.

Archaeological open air museums aim to bring that distant past to life. Their stories are key, serving as a bridge between science and the public. Because they create memories, archaeological museums are responsible for transmitting an accurate message to visitors, to provide answers and raise questions such as ‘who would we like to have been?’ and ‘who do we want to be now and in the future?’

In general, history museums act as shelters for memories. They collect and present objects from the past that are worth remembering with the aim of explaining the world and the everyday lives of previous civili-sations. The present is always linked to the past and each present moment has its own answers and explanations. History museums are generally based on preserved memories rather than personal ones.

Interpreting the pastIn contrast, archaeological open air museums do not present collections of findings and artefacts. They present a pure interpretation of the past, ideally based on the latest research.

They depict a past we cannot remember through written memories or at least traditions.

When visitors come to an archaeological open air museum, they generally have a fixed image of the past and their ancestors based on what they have learned at school, from Hollywood, computer games, fictional litera-ture and the internet. Their expectations are formed from their experience of the modern world, without the illness, cruelty and poverty that was prevalent.

Today’s challengesBut do these images reflect who we would like to have been? The presentations in archaeo-logical open air museums today would most probably amuse the living populations of the time. Are we simply depicting a past that is pleasant to our minds, or does the representation run deeper?

An archaeological open air museum’s collection contains several dimensions. In essence, it represents the interpretation of historians and archaeologists, creating images of a complex research field.

Esse n t i a l l y t h ese museums must inform people about alternative ways of living together and raise questions on their own living methods.

Today, we live in a world where entertain-ment dominates over educat ion, and in order to attract visitors, open air archaeology museums need to enter-tain. However, getting visitors in the door is not enough; they also need to provide examples of

Evoking the past, shaping the futureHow archaeological open air museums create new memories

* International Organisation of Archaeological Open Air Museums and Experimental Archaeology (ICOM Affiliated Organisation)

Archaeology museums give examples of

alternative ways of thinking and living

A living history group in Bachritterburg Kanzach, Germany

Author s note: This article is based on a presentation I gave at the 4th International Conference of the uNESCO Memory of the World Programme: Culture – Memory – Identities, in Warsaw, Poland, in May, 2011.

by roeland Paardekooper, EXarc* coordinator and Katrin Pres, archaeologist

10 ICOMNEWS | N°2 2011 N°2 2011 | ICOMNEWS 11N°2 2011 | ICOMNEWS 1110 ICOMNEWS | N°2 2011

SPECIAL REPORT ACCESSIBILITy

positive impact of this legislation. In response to a survey carried out by the Collaborative, New york’s Metropolitan Museum of Art stated that legislation has made it easier to justify and maintain program-ming during fiscal cuts brought on by the recession. Meanwhile, the gregg Museum in North Carolina indicated that Section 504 of the rehabilitation Act inspired it to create an Accessibility Plan focusing on programming, marketing, services and facilities.

In the uK, the Disability Discrimination Act passed in 1995, which has since been incorporated into the Equality Act 2010, led to the creation of the Disability and Access Officer post in 2002 in London’s victoria and Albert Museum.

But despite these positive advances, legislation in many countries tends to focus primarily on physical accessibility, notably in Brazil and Japan. Julia Cassim was based in Japan for 27 years and was arts columnist for The Japan Times between 1984 and 1998. During this time, which she refers to as Japan’s “second museum boom”, she was struck by the absence of an under-standing of the need for cognitive access to Japanese museums in contrast to their perfect physical accessibility. “It struck me that once inside the museum, less thought had been given to how they could connect with their general public,” she says. “So I started thinking about how you could illustrate the importance of cognitive access. I felt that visually impaired people were the most cut off from collections in art museums and that if one could find ways of making collections cogni-tively and physically accessible to this excluded group, the same measures would benefit general audiences too. This latter group might not be visually impaired but many could not be considered visually literate and clearly struggled with many modern works.” In 1994, Cassim was commissioned to design and curate a contemporary art exhibition at the Nagoya City Art Museum. In designing this exhibition, she focused not only on visually impaired visitors but also on members of the general public and found that her hypothesis was accurate. Following this experience, she formed Access vision, a non-profit group working with the visually impaired and sighted people to improve cognitive access to museum collections in Japan.

Regulating sign languageA law passed in Spain in 2007 – Law 27, published in the Official State Bulletin -- made Spanish sign language official, which has had a hugely positive impact on programming for the hearing impaired. Paula Susaeta Cucalón, Head of Projects at Instituto de Cultura of the Fundación MAPFRE, a Madrid-based private foundation which carries out general-interest activities through five specialist institutes, explains: “In sign language, there is a different alphabet for each country,” she says. “It is not possible to create a visual guide in English with Spanish sign language, for instance. For the deaf and hearing impaired, special programmes have to be prepared using the national sign language, but up until 2007, there was no legislation to

enforce this. Even though there is a basic international sign language, each country uses its own.”

The Instituto de Cultura of the Fundación MAPFRE has four galleries, where it hosts a complete range of visual arts and photography exhibitions, in addition to lectures and seminars on a variety of cultural themes. In order to make these activities accessible to visitors with disabilities, the Foundation works with two non-profit organisations – ONCE, for the blind and visually impaired, and CNSE, for the deaf and hearing impaired. Both organisations were created in the 1930s during the Spanish Civil War. “With the arrival of democracy in 1974, there was a feeling in Spain that we had a lot of catching up to do in the field of culture; and later on, in the late 1990s and beginning of the 2000s there was a lot of work to do in providing access to art and culture, so we didn’t waste any time,” comments Susaeta.

Beyond stereotypesAnother challenge for the accessible museum is avoiding categorisa-tion. Museums providing free admission to all publics, for instance, avoid the delicate issue of requesting proof of disability, employment status or age. Interaction between different groups of visitors also encourages mutual understanding.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, uS works with a wide range of teenagers and adults, including individuals suffering from dementia or

memory loss, brain injury, cognitive disabilities and physical disabilities, and blindness or poor vision through its Access to Art and A Feeling for Form programmes. According to Hannah goodwin, Manager of Accessibility at the museum, the tours are visitor-centred, interactive and multi-sensory. “We may have a group of residents from

an Assisted Living facility with a range of disabilities coming in, for instance, and one or two people may be blind. We always keep the groups together, but provide the appropriate support,” she explains.

Interacting with the public in this way requires different levels of training. “We do a lot of basic training that includes communicating and welcoming people with disabilities. For people who want to lead tours, they go through a training series which covers everything from how to structure a tour to the variety of tactile materials and approaches that we can use to give description. They then have mentors, and work on tours with experienced guides, gradually doing more until they are leading their own tours,” she says.

The World report on disability, the first of its kind, produced jointly this year by the World Health Organisation and the World Bank, suggests that more than a billion people in the world today experience disability. According to the report, people with disabilities have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities, all largely due to the lack of services available to them and the many obstacles they face in their everyday lives.

It is part of the museum’s remit to recognise the diversity of its public and to adapt their facilities and programming accordingly. Progress to date suggests that much has been achieved, but there’s a lot more to do. n

Making museums accessible to all is a multifaceted challenge. Transforming institutions, once considered intimidating and elite, into a space where diverse groups come together for

a cultural experience is a delicate task. On the one hand, the physical accessibility of the building is vital, but museums must also ensure that visitors feel welcome, at ease and engaged with collections. Museums today are reaching out to a wider public than ever before, but making themselves accessible to disabled and disadvantaged publics presents a more specific challenge.

Physical initiatives such as providing wheelchair access, special parking spaces and signs in Braille are just part of an effective acces-sibility policy. you may have got your visitors in the door, but are there enough benches for the chronically fatigued? Is the museum safe for visitors with balance issues? And while marginalised populations

many move around with ease, how welcome do they really feel?Legislation is a powerful driver in making museums more acces-

sible to a disadvantaged public. The adoption of disability-related laws paves the way for budgets and makes accessibility a priority. For instance, in the uS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, and includes several provisions in relation to museum accessibility. Both privately operated museums and museums operated by state or local governments are covered under title III and II respectively. Museums that receive Federal funding – whether they are covered by title II or title III – are also covered by Section 504 of the rehabilitation Act.

According to Nina Levent, Executive Director of the New-york based collaborative Art beyond Sight, which is coordinated by non-profit organisation Art Education for the Blind, uS museums are feeling the

The quest for inclusionAccessibility is a challenge that museums are taking seriously, but to what extent?

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Legislation in many countries tends to focus primarily on

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to make them their own. Partner museums are thus encouraged to add to an exhibi-tion using works from their own collection, ensuring a fruitful cross-cultural dialogue is established based on the exhibition themes. These travelling exhibitions also allow visitors from around the world to access the Louvre’s masterpieces, the originals of which would usually not be allowed to leave the museum.

“This collaboration with partner museums initiates a shared reflection on accessibility, an interpretation based on the disabled public and an opportunity to learn about casts,” gouyette adds. “Each partner is supplied with specifications that take into consideration all disabled visitors as well as the public at large; training sessions are proposed to museum staff, teachers and educators specialised in the policies on accessibility and artistic educa-tion through touch. These training sessions are an opportunity to rethink architectural accessibility and interpretation adapted to entire museographic spaces [lifts, access ramps, screens displaying sign language, labels in Braille] and prompts reflection on the creation of tools adapted to national visitors.”

With more than 350,000 visitors, these successful exhibitions will soon be travelling to Africa.

The gallery also made the news recently when a new tactile path was introduced to visitors on 4 May, 2011. This new path is

dedicated to the representation of child-hood, through 17 works that span ancient history up to the 19th century. This exhibi-tion is also accompanied by a selection of museography and visitation aids, aimed at maximising accessibility, which contributed to the success of previous exhibitions. These aids include Braille and large type, audio descriptions, guided visits adapted for visually impaired visitors and so on.

Beyond the tactile mediumAccessibility is a priority for the Louvre. As an institutional policy, it has several main themes: the accessibility of a building, first of all, along with specialised cultural supports such as guided visits in sign language, paths for the physically disabled, and publication of works in relief.

As emphasised by Marina-Pia vitali, head of the Louvre’s visitation Assistance and Accessibility Division, the Tactile gallery also allowed the museum to “create a new dimension in interpreting,” paving the way

for other departments dedicated to making their collections acces-sible to all. “The future Department of Islamic A r t [schedu led to

reopen in 2012] will include a tactile path that explores the theme of ornamentation, accompanied by audio descriptions specifi-cally created for the visually impaired,” she adds. According to vitali, new ideas for the future to be developed in tandem with French cultural institutions include smart-phone applications, which will be the tools of choice for disabled visitors, who often spend a lot of time preparing their museum visits.

Solutions created for disabled visitors – and the tactile approach is a convincing example – can be used in a much larger context for the benefit of the general public, who find in these solutions a new way to experience museums. n

The tactile medium is an original approach that will

satisfy a larger public

The Louvre’s Tactile gallery was created in 1995 during a reorganisa-tion of the Department of Sculptures.

Created especially for the blind and visually impaired, but open to all visitors, the gallery holds exhibitions of sculpture casts of the Louvre’s masterpieces on various themes. visitors are invited to touch the full-scale casts, which allows for a unique, more sensory understanding of sculpture. The chosen thematic paths (Following Antiquity in 2000, Sculptures in Movement in 2005 and Animals: Symbols of Power in 2008) allow visually impaired visitors, often unfamiliar with museums, to discover different shapes, materials, techniques, artists and styles.

As Cyril le gouyette, head of the Louvre’s Artistic Education Division, explains:“Different levels of interpretation are possible for each visitor, from a simple formal orientation to a knowledgeable lecture.”

First contactA visit to the Tactile gallery, perhaps less intimidating than the rest of the museum, is often the first approach for some visitors. Museography and visitation aids have been specially conceived for this space: strips of tactile paving line the floor, labels in Braille and large type introduce samples of the sculpture material used in the original work, while a special audio guide and a wheelchair

access ramp allows for complete autonomy during a visit.

However, gouyette points out that “while this exhibit is aimed primarily at visually impaired visitors, the tactile medium is nonetheless an original approach that will satisfy a larger public through its devel-opment of a new sensory approach to sculpture, in a spirit of public integration.”

Since 2005, the Louvre, through partner-ships with other museums, has sent its tactile exhibitions to Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Louvre suggests that their foreign partners adapt these innovative exhibitions


Art with feelingThe Louvre Museum developed a tactile exhibition concept to increase accessibilityby alice rambert

Art Beyond Sight, a New York City-based NGO, has been coordinating for the past decade an international network of more than 250 museums that work to make their collections accessible to visitors with disabilities. Among its international members, two museums stand out: The Iziko South African National Gallery, which has been offering accessible programmes since 1977, and The Metropolitan

Museum of Manila, which pioneered access for 3.7 million visually impaired Filipinos.

About a year ago a group of educators from Manila visited Art Beyond Sight’s NYC office to discuss possible approaches to increasing accessibility to museums in the Filipino capital. Not long after that The Metropolitan Museum of Manila launched an extensive and innovative programme entitled Touch the Artist’s Vision, which includes touchable works of art, tactile images of artwork that cannot be touched, Braille text, and audio descriptions. The Touch the Artist’s Vision programme provides professional development workshops for museum staff and educators, but more importantly, it takes cultural

education far beyond the Metropolitan Museum’s walls through a series of tactile books used by visually impaired students around the country.

The Meaningful Access Programme (MAP) offered at the Iziko South African National Gallery aspires to convey the full meaning of art, artists’ inspirations and processes through a variety of multi-sensory methods, discussions, and workshops in which participants explore art materials and techniques, and their own creativity. These programmes are attracting visitors of diverse age groups, races, and economic backgrounds.

Although MAP works closely with the National Gallery, it is an independent group of retired educators and therapists that run more

than 30 remarkable multi-sensory programmes in a number of Cape Town’s museums on a small budget. During some workshops, participants decorated drums as a group project in response to an exhibition of traditional African musical instruments; at others, they created sculptures depicting ‘freedom’ in response to an exhibition about the lives of three South African Nobel Prize winners: Albert Luthuli, Frederik Willem de Klerk, and Nelson Mandela.

Raising awareness of these exemplary programmes is essential and encourages emulation in other countries.

Accessible initiatives in Manila and Cape Town

by Nina Levent, Executive Director, art Beyond Sightwww.artbeyondsight.org

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Please touch: young visitors experience the Tactile Gallery

Exploring a nude made of tyres at the Iziko South African National Gallery


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backgrounds, these people are generally either immigrants or Belgians living in tenuous social and economic conditions. Sésame’s work experience is concerned with both social and cultural practices and depends on the particularities of works of art.

Through a work of art, people living in precarious conditions observe and are observed. These experiences concern them in particular because in society at large they are often seen in a negative light, or not seen at all.

Contact with works of art does not resolve their difficulties, humiliating circumstances, or exhaustion, which are often linked to housing, incomplete education, health, unemploy-ment, and so on. On a material level, it does not solve any problems that are related to living conditions or survival. But, take, for example, the experience of a Kurd woman standing in front of the painting Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The guide explained that the bird trap was used to capture birds to be eaten in winter. For the first time the woman spoke up, explaining to the group that she once had to do the same thing in order to survive. According to her contact, this woman was finally able to find the words to tell her story and relate her suffering in exile, and then catch a glimpse of her future in Belgium. Seeing Bruegel’s painting was the turning point for her.

Paradoxically, it is exactly because there are no stakes that these cultural moments are experienced as existential.

The working spirit of the Sésame programme is based on reciprocation. During guided visits, space is given to personalisa-tion in order to create a climate of warmth

E veryone experiences emotion when observing works of art. Those who live in precarious conditions, those

who are learning a new language, refugees – they too feel these powerful emotions that are triggered visually. A museum may hold material creations, but it sets the stage for intangible values: cultural, religious, political, and social beliefs, as well as emotions, dreams, scorn, absurdities, hopes, and mystery. Works of art can be considered as mirrors that reflect subjective viewpoints within a society; in this way, they create the fabric of cultural life.

Today, accessibility is a priority for a large number of cultural institutions, notably for the royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Its educational department, Educateam, has created a Made to Measure department that brings together programmes aimed at specific audiences: Sign Language for the deaf and hearing impaired, Equinoxe for the blind and visually impaired, Comète for those who are physically or intellectually disabled or are psychiatric patients, and Sésame for those living in precarious social and cultural conditions.

For the past eight years, Sésame has worked on opening the museum’s collec-tions to those who, for a variety of reasons, are unaware of its existence or believe that it is not accessible. Coming from diverse

The museum melting potMuseums: a place for social bonding and cross-cultural dialogue and openness, which helps audiences feel

comfortable enough to share more about themselves. Important preparatory work is undertaken with intermediaries from different social organisations: trainers, educators, social workers, volunteers, and so on, who are the keystone of the programme.

It is also necessary to work outside the museum, to meet people in their own environment or organisation. For this reason an external animation support, the ‘museum suitcase,’ has been developed, containing high-quality illustrations of works of art, which helps promote discovery of the museum’s collections, art books, games and so on. This educational system helps people prepare for a visit, express their objections, and arouse their curiosity, which is ultimately the key to inspire them to make the trip.

A large number of people today still perceive museums as places that are inaccessible. Nevertheless, a survey under-taken in 2005 of 200 adults in the Sésame

programme, which analysed the question of representat ion, revea led tha t fo r two-thirds of the target public, the museum is

above all seen in a positive light, as a place of knowledge with high cognitive expecta-tions. One sentence in particular sums up the results of the study: “For me, going to a museum means learning, understanding, educating myself, and opening my mind.”

Working on making a museum acces-sible is a long-term project, but the effects are ultimately felt beyond a museum’s walls. Descriptions such as “To be with beautiful things in a museum is important to have the strength to fight against discouragement, to remain standing,” or “I am no longer afraid to speak out in front of my boss” are expressions of social and cultural bonding. They reveal the identity and priorities of the institution as a social vector in the city, which contributes in a specific and original manner to the creation of meaning. n

by anne Querinjean, coordinator of the Sésame programme at the royal museums of Fine arts of Belgium

When there are no stakes, cultural moments are

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HERITAGE IN DANGER MEDIATION

When the dust settlesHow icom and WiPo created a programme to facilitate dispute settlements related to art and cultural heritageby Samia Slimani

View of the exhibition Jaume Plensa Jerusalem, Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma, Majorca 2006

Agandhara Buddha restituted to the National Museum in Kabul and a Maõri head returned to

New Zealand authorities from the National History Museum in rouen are just two examples of high-profile restitution cases that have highlighted the need for assis-tance when it comes to settling cultural property disputes.

In this context, the International Council of Museums is set to launch a new mediation programme in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which will be open to all players in the field of art and cultural heritage. ICOM has a strong history of playing the role of mediator, most recently witnessed in the restitution of the Makondé mask to the united republic of Tanzania in 2010. Initially etched by former President of ICOM, Alissandra Cummins,

this programme is the fruit of years of collaboration between the two partners, and will address, in particular, copyright issues, traditional cultural knowledge and expression, and intel-lectual property.

Mediation is deemed an appropriate means of achieving dispute resolu-tion in the field of art and cultural heritage, and is governed by the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums and its international public service mission to fight illicit traffic in cultural property.

A consensual alternative Over the years, museums and other players in art and cultural heritage have become increasingly involved in various types of disputes: origins, returns, restitutions,

custodianship, ownership of objects in a collection, intellectual property and claims relating to intangible heritage. The complexity of these disputes is due to the

sheer number of legal, cultural, economic, ethical, historic, moral, political, religious, and spiritual questions raised.

The goal of media-tion is to resolve these

disputes without having to go to court and to find satisfactory alternatives for all parties involved. It serves museum professionals and all players in the field of art and cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.

In offering this service, ICOM and WIPO will provide a list of mediators to all parties engaged in a mediation process. The list is based on objective criteria including

Center and ICOM Secretariat will intervene and cooperate with all parties in order to resolve the issue, with the aim of assigning a mediator who will suit both parties. ICOM and WIPO will provide access to facilities – notably meeting rooms and simultaneous interpretation services when necessary – in order to facilitate the process.

Confidential communicationIn addition, parties can take advantage of WIPO’s Electronic Case Facility (ECAF) system, which allows documents to be submitted electronically to facilitate long-distance communication. This system guarantees the confidentiality of transmitted data and information, essential in media-tion. In this way, the meetings between the parties and the mediator take place in a closed-door setting and are not subject to any audio recordings. Anyone involved in the mediation settlement is required to maintain the strictest confidentiality. This

means that even if no settlement is reached or if the mediation is interrupted in favour of taking the dispute to court, the parties will not be able to base their case on anything that transpired (or could have transpired) during the mediation process – or even on the very existence of the mediation itself.

Compared to traditional recourses such as lawsuits or arbitration, the advantage of mediation lies in its low procedural costs. Costs are divided between the low adminis-trative charges payable to ICOM and WIPO and the fee paid directly to the mediator. The mediator’s payment is based on either an hourly charge or a flat fee agreed upon by both parties.

In response to the growing needs of museum professionals for assistance in resolving cultural heritage disputes, ICOM and WIPO have launched an innovative programme, which is hoped to make long-standing cultural property disputes a thing of the past. n

qualifications, education, and experience in the field of art and cultural heritage as well as mediation procedures. The chosen mediator will intervene from a neutral stand-point, his or her ultimate aim being to assist the parties involved to find an acceptable compromise.

The ICOM-WIPO mediation settlement offers the option of customised dispute resolution, taking into account specific needs in the field of art and cultural heritage and guaranteeing an impartial, indepen-dent and ethical intervention. The parties must be in agreement on the principle of mediation. Agreement on mediation can be obtained in two ways: in advance, through a general clause stipulated in a contract signed by the two parties; or after the dispute, through a contract specifi-cally relating to the dispute in question. In this respect, ICOM and WIPO can offer the assistance necessary to reach an agreement in this pre-mediation phase to interested parties.

Making a caseA case may be submitted to the ICOM Secretariat by one or all of the parties involved in the dispute through an optional declaration form or by other means, yet to be stipulated. After studying the submitted case, ICOM will then transfer the request to the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center within 30 days. The mediation process will be opened once the Center has received the request and the process will be closed once an agreement settling all disputes has been signed. The parties will be free to temporarily or definitively end the mediation process at any moment and for any reason; the unrestrictive nature of this process is one of its major advantages.

In all cases, the choice of a mediator is crucial, and the parties must agree upon their choice within seven days. If the parties cannot agree on this point, the

The goal of mediation is to resolve disputes by

finding satisfactory alternatives for all parties

ICOM and WIPO will soon offer specialised training sessions aimed at informing and promoting this new programme. A series of workshops that will provide training for the mediator role and explain in detail the mediation process in art and cultural heritage will be organised at the ICOM headquarters in Paris.

The training workshop for the mediator role is intended to train prospective mediators or candidates for the mediator list. The workshop will introduce trainees to the mediation techniques pertinent to art and cultural heritage in the ICOM-

WIPO model. Participants will be placed in practical situations and will take on the roles of different parties in order to settle a fictive dispute. This training session will be led by outside experts in the field of cultural heritage who have significant experience in resolving disputes.

The workshop is

specifically designed for museum professionals who have had to resort to this alternative method of dispute settlement and who would like to learn more about the mediation process. It will be organised jointly by project managers from ICOM and WIPO.

A detailed programme of workshops and application forms will soon be available on the ICOM website. ICOM and WIPO are non-profit organisations; the registration fees for these training sessions will therefore be used solely to pay the instructors. The fees will be indicated on the registration forms.

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the international council of museums held its three-day annual meetings at the UNESco Headquarters in Paris from 6 - 8 June, 2011 to review the past year and discuss future objectives. museum representatives and professionals from all over the world reflected on some of the talking points for the museum community today

Photos © ICOM / V.GREMILLET

Sustainable development, museum ethics and research platforms were just some of the issues up for discussion at this year’s ICOM Annual

Meetings. Over three days, more than 200 ICOM members from almost all its National and International Committees, regional Alliances and Affiliated Organisations attended the conferences and events, which ranged from administrative plenary sessions to practical working sessions on the issues facing the world museum community today. In his keynote address, British artist and film director Peter greenaway treated participants to a spectacular multimedia feast, while the traditional reception was held at the Musée Guimet in Paris’s 16th district, which houses one of the largest Asian art collections outside the continent. n

Organisational orientationsThe Advisory Committee held its plenary session on 6 June, and two separate sessions for National and International Committees the following day. During the plenary session, reports were given on organisational matters, programmes development, support to the network, and the evaluation of the organisation’s 2007 - 2010 Strategic Plan. A final report on ICOM’s 22nd General Conference in Shanghai was also delivered by the Chinese organising committee. During the separate meetings, intense and constructive discussions were held on the structure of the National and International Committees as well as their future development.

As in previous years, the General Assembly, held on 8 June, reviewed the actions taken by ICOM and its members on important issues concern-

ing the international museum community and the organisation itself during the past year. The Assembly voted the organisation’s Financial Statements 2010 and discharge, and adopted ICOM’s new Strategic Plan for 2011 - 2013.

ICOM Strategic Plan 2011 - 2013The ICOM Strategic Plan 2011 - 2013 was adopted by the General Assembly on 8 June. The new Plan was drafted with a view to helping ICOM face the challenges and seize the opportunities of a fast-changing museum landscape. The work of the Strategic Plan Evaluation Committee and the Strategic Plan Working Group led to the development of the initial proposal, which was finalised at the 116th session of the Executive Council. To meet the challenges of an ever-changing museum sphere and to serve the ICOM community of museum professionals to the

best of its ability, the Strategic Plan 2011 - 2013 focuses on four main development areas: increasing membership value and transparency for ICOM members; developing museum and heritage expertise; strengthening ICOM’s global leadership in the heritage sector; and developing and managing resources to implement the Strategic Plan effectively. Some of these objectives are intended to be achieved over the three-year period, while others will inspire ICOM’s actions for many years to come.

More than 30 participants attended a workshop on the application of the new Strategic Plan on 8 June. This participation demonstrated the ICOM network’s willingness and eagerness to implement the Strategic Plan in their committees through collaborative contribution. The participants, work-ing in four groups, acknowledged the differences between commit-

tees and countries and reiterated a desire for inclusiveness and partner-ships. Proposals were put forward with regard to adapting the new Strategic Plan to various contexts.

Activities explainedThe ICOM General Secretariat teams unveiled current and future projects through a series of workshops open to participants. A presentation of the membership database and the mini-websites for committees raised particular interest among committee representatives, while the Secretariat’s programme activities attracted members involved in heritage issues. Since these workshops were tested at the General Conference in Shanghai, ICOM General Secretariat has seen increasing requests for this type of session from the ICOM community, who are eager to take part in and benefit from the organisation’s wide range of activities and member services.

Keynote address: The New Visual LiteracyThis year’s special guest, British artist and film director Peter Greenaway (pictured), gave a presentation entitled The New Visual Literacy. Display-ing his signature wit and stage presence, he spoke of a widespread visual illiteracy due to an essentially text-based culture and discussed the global museum’s obligation in this new digital age to promote the visual. Through several spectacular demonstrations of his reinter-pretation of classic paintings such as Rembrandt’s Night Watch, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding at Cana, he illustrated what can be done to encourage visual awareness and support the dictum: “the image always has the last word”.

The inspiring presentation which was warmly received by ICOM members, provided an original perspective on the potential of new audiovisual technologies in the future development of museums.

ICOM ANNUAL MEETINGS PArIS 2011

Museums in action

Recalling ShanghaiOn the evening of 6 June, meeting participants travelled to the Musée Guimet for a cocktail reception (pictured)where members could interact in an informal setting. Ms Marie-Claude Vitoux, Deputy Director of the Musée Guimet welcomed the participants of ICOM’s Annual Meetings, and ICOM President Hans-Martin Hinz gave a short address, wishing all participants an enjoyable and enriching event. In a nod to the General Conference in Shanghai, participants could visit the museum’s extensive Asian collections, as well as three temporary exhibitions that were part of the museum’s spring-summer 2011 Indian Season.

Constructive exchangeTo encourage constructive dialogue and the exchange of ideas between the museum com-munity, new interactive working group sessions were added to this year’s agenda. Three Advisory Thematic Panels were therefore organised with a view to gaining an overview of the current situa-tion within the international museum community.

Participants were invited to join discussions in groups of five to eight people. The topics up for discussion were museums and sustainable development; museum ethics; and research, training and publications. Each group represented


a wide geographic and linguistic spectrum in an inclusiveness spirit. Members who had not pre-registered for the panels signed up on the day, which proved the popularity of this initiative.

The results of the thematic panels were presented on the following day, Wednesday, 7 June, by the groups’ moderators. They provided examples to help ICOM understand the needs of colleagues and museums in the specific areas discussed, and formulated propos-als to address the issues effectively. These proposals will be examined in detail and are expected to help ICOM and the world museum community to develop appropriate actions for the future in these fields.

N°2 2011 | ICOMNEWS 2120 ICOMNEWS | N°2 2011

Since 1977, ICOM has organised International Museum Day (IMD) around

18 May and 2011 was no excep-tion. IMD has become a key event on the international cultural and museum calendar. For the first time in the history of the event, ICOM joined forces with numerous institutional partners*, all concerned by the concept of memory and the transmission of heritage. In addition, ICOM was once again a patron of the European Night of Museums on 14 May, whose programme – An object, a story – echoed the IMD theme Museum and Memory – Objects tell your story. The IMD theme served to emphasise the role of museums and their

collections in the conservation and transmission of collective and individual memory.

All around the world, mus-eums showed extra creativity in their exhibitions and educa-tional activities. For instance, the Nigeria National Museum in Oshogbo organised a quiz in-tended for school pupils in order to raise their awareness of the importance of heritage con-servation, whereas in Canada, the Sundre Museum presented an exhibition on memories. In New Zealand, the Whanganui regional Museum celebrated the musical traditions of the country through its Memory and Music programme. In Argentina, the Museo Argentino de Ciencias

Naturales Bernardino Ridavia in Buenos Aires created the concept musecuentos for the event, where storytellers recounted tales in-spired by objects in the museum. Finally, the Arkeologi Museoa in Bilbao, Spain organised a game called Tracing the Past, followed by a show.

To help museums and insti-tutions organise International Museum Day and to ensure greater visibility for the event, ICOM developed a series of promotional and communica-tions tools. For the first time ever, ICOM created a special website for the event (http://imd2011.icom.museum), where more than 212 museums registered their activities. These programmes

were inserted in the press kit, which was sent to journalists and then widely distributed by partici-pants and National Committees in each country. In addition to the museums’ activity programmes, listed by continent, ICOM also developed a communications kit, providing information and useful tools for the organisation and promotion of the event. The official poster was translated into 37 languages, from Kirghiz to Basque to Japanese, and toured the world.

Last March, ICOM created a Facebook fan page for IMD 2011, which aroused the interest of more than 1,200 Internet users, with 2,500 active users a month and more than 32,000 posts in May. This page is still operational and gathers testimonies, impres-sions, suggestions and pictures of International Museums Day participants.

The 2011 edition of IMD was a runaway success. The theme of International Museum Day 2012 has already been chosen and approved by the ICOM Advisory Committee: Museums in a changing world – New challenges, new inspiration. ICOM calls on the worldwide museum community to start preparing the 2012 edition and salutes the enthusiasm and involve-ment of museums in this event. n

Some 30,000 museums in 100 countries participated in this year’s imD. the event’s success was largely due to the inspiring theme: museum and memory - objects tell your story

international museum Day 2011


Following the events that shook Egypt at the beginning of this year, ICOM quickly mobilised its resources in an effort to protect the country’s cultural heritage. In an emergency, obtaining reliable information is of the utmost necessity, but, in certain cases, it also presents one of the greatest challenges. For this reason, ICOM, its Secretariat, its Disaster relief Task Force (DrTF) and its International Committee for Egyptology (CIPEg) pooled their resources in order to analyse as accurately as possible the situation and risks that Egyptian heritage and the country’s museums and sites are facing, in cooperation with the Ministry of State for Antiquities.

This investigative work led to the identification of thefts that have been perpetrated and a reassessment of the state of the country’s main archaeological sites. The outcome of these efforts enabled ICOM to respond to the needs of the international community while co-directing an on-site evaluation mission in April.

Following several exchanges with the Egyptian authorities, experts on the country’s heritage, and members of CIPEg, ICOM Secretariat decided to launch the publication of a new red List: the Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk. This new red List has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs of the uS Department of State. Established in direct cooperation with a team of Egyptian and international experts, this red List will classify the categories of Egyptian cultural goods that are the most susceptible to illicit traffic: archaeological objects that date to Pharaonic and greco-roman Egypt, Coptic and Islamic works, as well as Nubian cultural objects. By launching this new Emergency red List project, ICOM reaffirms its commitment to the protection of cultural heritage, notably in post-crisis contexts. n

Action in Egypt

s Group statue of Kaemheset with his wife and son, Old Kingdom Dynasty 6, ca. 2323-2150 B.C© The Egyptian Museum

ICOM mobilised its resources to assess the situation of museums in Japan’s most affected areas following the devastating earthquake that rocked the country’s coasts on 11 March this year, and the tsunami and nuclear threat that ensued. By communicating with its Disaster relief Task Force and Japanese museum professionals, ICOM was able to source concrete information on the extent of the damage.

Japan boasts several thousand museums, only a few of which are national institutions. It has been reported that more than 2,000 public social education facilities were heavily damaged, among them 648 public halls, 189 libraries and 204 museums (such as the rikuzen Takada City Museum, the Wakayanagi Local History Museum, the Moguranpia Kuji City underground Aquarium and Science Centre and the Ishinomaki Art Centre Museum). In addition, five national treasures, 144 designated cultural properties and 80 historic sites have reportedly suffered. There is an urgent need to shelter damaged cultural goods, rehabilitate and recover movable but also immovable properties like historic buildings.

Japanese cultural authorities have called for inter-national cooperation in order to preserve and restore affected national heritage. A donation campaign was recently launched, and donation boxes to that effect can be found in many museums in the country. Non-profit organisations and volunteers are also helping to salvage the country’s cultural heritage.

*The institutional partners of International Museum Day 2011 were: The uNESCO Memory of the World Programme, the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA), the International Council on Archives, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

The ICOM General Conference is a pivotal event for the international museum community, which gathers the international museum community on a specific theme chosen by museum professionals.

The ICOM General Conference site is rotated every three years across all continents. The 22nd ICOM General Conference was held in Shanghai in 2010 on the theme Museums for Social Harmony. This event gathered more than 3,000 participants. The 23rd ICOM General Conference will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013.

All active ICOM National Committees can apply to host the ICOM General Conference in 2016. A bidding manual will shortly be sent to all Chairs of ICOM National Committees. A letter of intent must be received at ICOM General Secretariat by 30 October, 2011, signed by the Chair of the National Committee and full applications should be sent as early as possible, but no later than 15 January, 2012 (Paris time: GMT+1) to the ICOM General Secretariat. A shortlist of three candidates maximum will be drawn up by the Board of the ICOM Executive Council. Site inspection of the shortlisted candidate host cities will take place during the first quarter of 2012. The Advisory Committee will vote on a motion of recommendation for the host of ICOM’s 24th General Conference, ICOM 2016, in June 2012.The recommendation will then be submitted for approval by the Executive Council in June 2012.

Call for candidates to host the 2016 ICOM General Conference

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Shabti of Heqareshu dated from the New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, ca. 1550-1295 B.C.© The Egyptian Museum

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ICOM COMMUNITY

ICOM CC, ICOM International Committee for Conservation Glass and Ceramics Conservation 2010 / Special Interest Group (SIG); Heraus-gegeben Hannelore Römich. Corning: The Corning Museum of Glass, ICOM Commit-tee for Conservation, 2010. 240 p., ill. ISBN 978-0-87290-182-7 (in English)

This volume contains the proceedings of the interim meeting of the ICOM CC glass and Ceramics Working group held at the Corning Museum of glass (united States) in 2010. The meeting covered all aspects of

glass and ceramics conservation. The publication aims at providing informa-tion on current conservation research, practice and education. Sessions were devoted to history, technology and training; special collections; treatments; science and technology; architectural glass, ceramics tiles and terra cotta. Price: €49,80 or £45Order from: Anton Siegl Fachbuchhandlung gmbH, Kirchenstr.7, D-81675 München, germany Email: [email protected]

ICOM EuropeReflecting Europe in its museum objects / Udo Gösswald ; Isabelle Benoit (scientific ed.) ; introduction by Krzystof Pomian. Berlin : ICOM-Europe, [2010]. 134 p., ill. (ICOM Europe views and activities ; 2) (in English)

For some time, Europeans have addressed the issue of defining their identity and specificity. ICOM Europe and the Museum of Europe in Brussels have joined together to publish a brochure that reflects the European continent through selected museum objects. Curators in Europe chose objects, paintings and photographs that they consider relevant for the understanding of Europe’s identity and diversity, its common experiences and future perspectives. It is the second volume of the ICOM Europe views and activities series.Order from: ICOM EuropeEmail: [email protected]

ICOMAM, ICOM International Committee for Museums of Arms and Military HistoryICOMAM Rio 2008, Diretoria do Patrimônio Histórico e Documentação da Marinha / ICOMAM. Rio de Janeiro : Serviço de Documentação da Marinha, 2010. 394 p., ill. ISBN 978-85-7047-090-4. (in English and Portuguese)

In 2008, for the first time, ICOMAM held its annual conference in South America, in rio de Janeiro from August 24-29. This publication contains the proceedings of this conference, which

was held on the theme of Making strategies for a positive future. guy Wilson, Chair of ICOMAM, introduced the theme. Whereas some lectures dealt with museum organisation and management, most papers dealt with practical museum matters, such as the enlightening of special collections and objects, exhibition and conservation techniques in museums of military history. Two papers focused on military music.Order from: Armando de Senna Bittencourt, Diretoria do Patrimônio Histórico e Documentação da Marinha – Museu Naval, rua Dom Manuel 15 – Centro, rio de Janeiro - CEP 20010-090, Brazil Fax: +55 21 2533 6696

PUBLICATIONS

review by michael Houlihan, chief Executive, te Papa tongarewa museum, New Zealand

Disappointingly, Adrian Kerr, whose own Museum of Free Derry is an exemplar of how the everyday object can tell a raw and powerful story, devotes too much time to a critique of the Ulster Museum’s recent treatment of the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. He fails to recognise that, too often, the default position of any national museum is the bland and non-contentious because, in trying to reflect a national memory rather than a visceral individual or community one, most will find themselves condemned to the anodyne. The layering of memory and its contrasting uses is tackled with intelligence and stark precision in Sophia Milosevic Bijleveld’s comparative study of two museums in Afghanistan: The Jihad Museum and The Victims Museum.

Some other good ideas shine through. First, Lydia Johnson’s “Stay-ing True to Innovation”, which pro-vides a useful management handbook for living your institutional values, in this case at the Tech Museum of Innovation in Silicon Valley. Secondly, and this isn’t really about a museum at all, is Marzia Gigli’s “Mechanisms of Violence” and the development of human rights education. This thought-ful and probing chapter seeks to differentiate memory from the duty of memory. While many of the contribu-tions to this book are locked into the mantra of “never again!”, Gigli’s Peace School Foundation of Monte Sole poses a more searching question of us all, namely, “why still?” It is nuggets like these that make Museums of Ideas worth dipping into.

Museums of Ideas: Commitment and Conflict Published by MuseumsEtc

ne view of the museum places it at the intersection of collections, people, knowl-

edge and ideas: a zone to encounter learning, entertainment, co-creation and even personal transformation. Museum of Ideas: Commitment and conflict suggests a new configura-tion around the burning passion of commitment: fiction, contemporary moralities, and the unashamed subjectivity of memory. But this is not a journey of self-discovery, independent thought and dialogue. Here the lesson outcomes and the moral direction are predetermined. Museums of Ideas, it seems, are not always Museums of Independent Thought.

Museums of Ideas – or, perhaps Museums of Polemics – traverses the earnestly shallow and the “look at us we’ve invented the wheel” school of naivety, through the downright whacky to the insightful. Many of the contributors are dismissive of objects and state the impotence of collections to articulate ideas. There is very little reflection on practice and how research and curatorship have unlocked very complex ideas. However, Silvia Casini’s chapter “Giving Corto Maltese a House” takes this philosophy to another level, describing how a fictional home about a fictional character can be populated with fictional memories.

Many of the chapters tackle the presentation of memory, but not always with sophistication.

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inventing the wheel

And many other advantages:ICOM CARD: your international passport to museums worldwide

TRAVEL GRANTS Programme to participate in ICOM conferences, training and workshops on museum specialities

DISCOUNTS and preferential rates

3Benefit from ICOM servicesBE INFORMED on trends and innovation in museums thanks to ICOM News, the magazine for museum professionals, and electronic newsletters

CONSULT the 50,000 publications available at the UNESCO-ICOM documentation centre in Paris

1Be part of the international museum community MEET world-class museum professionals

DEVELOP a professional network

SHARE and exchange expertise

PARTICIPATE in the 150 conferences organised by the ICOM network every year

ICOM General Conference 2013 will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2Get involved in international public missionsADVOCATE museum standards of excellence

CONTRIBUTE to the evolution of museums

PLAY A ROLE in the fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods

COOPERATE in emergency actions in museums worldwide

For more information, visit http://icom.museum

3good reasons to join the International Council of Museums:

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