Museum  as    Temple  or  Forum?  

Pilot-­‐Project  in  Museum  Studies    Polytechnical  Museum    

Moscow  Higher  School  of  Economics  Reinwardt  Academy    

Ruben  Smit  

Please, define your own meaningful museum definition!

Museum as Temple?

Museums, zoos, libraries are typical expressions of the Age of Enlightenment

The long 19th Century (1889 – 1914) is the age of Nation Building ‘Nation Building’ – it is not accidental that museums were founded and built in this era.

“First Impressions Never Lie” So let’s look at the prototype of museum architecture; the neo-classical style refers of course to the temples of the classical ancient Greek and Roman cultures.

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Newly constructed 1854, C.R. Cockerell)

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge 1837- 41, George Basevi

British Museum, London Sir Robert Smirke 1823-47

Field Museum, Chicago 1893, Charles Atwood

Das Altes Museum, Berlin 1823-1830, Karl F. Schinkel

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Facade 1902, R.M. Hunt

The National Gallery, London 1832-38, William Wilkins

The National Gallery, London 1832-38, William Wilkins

Sainsbury Wing (NG) 1988-9, Venturi Scott Brown

Rijksmuseum 1885, Pierre J.H. Cuypers

New Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Maart 2013 Cruz en Ortis

Guggenheim, NYC 1959, Frank Lloyd Wright

Centre Pompidou 1976, Rogers en Piano

Nouveau Louvre 1989, I.M. Pei

Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht 1995, Aldo Rossi

Groninger Museum 1995, Alessandro Mendini

NEMO – Science Centre, Amsterdam 1997, Renzo Piano

Jewish Museum, Berlin 2001, Daniel Liebeskind

Jewish Museum, Berlin 2001, Daniel Liebeskind

New Wing Royal Ontario Museum 2006, Daniel Liebeskind

A museum is..?

museum • noun, a building in which objects of interest or significance are stored and exhibited Compact Oxford English Dictionary

A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment. ICOM- definition

'A museum is an institution which collects, documents, preserves, exhibits and interprets material evidence and associated information for the public benefit' Museums Association - old definition

'Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.‘ Museums Association Definition Adopted: 1998

Our mission is to help people determine their place in the world and define their identities, so enhancing their self-respect and their respect for others. Tynes & Wear Museums, Newcastle (U.K.)

David Fleming CEO Loverpool Museums h>p://vimeo.com/47594838    

How did we get there?

heritage

functions

institutions

society

‘New' Museology Peter van Mensch

Crises are from all times When I was young I witnessed the double oil crisis

In those days the then director of the Brooklyn Museum, Duncan Cameron, published an article:

‘The Museum, a Temple or the Forum’

•  In our daily life we ourselves judge objects outside museums primarily on their more practical qualities like: price, materiality, durability, usability, design, etc…

•  Cameron stated that with the selection and presentation of objects museums fully and structurally change the meaning of these objects.

•  Once collected by the museum, the object receives an aura of almost sacral approval.

•  Furthermore Cameron stated that museum collections as such are being used as benchmarks to help to define the visitor’s personal view on the world.

•  Visitors see these objects as material witnesses of ideas, dreams, wishes and feelings of current or past times.

To whom does this museum belong?

•  Cameron is not that explicit, but he states that the museum is actually similar to an identity making machine.

•  Furthermore Cameron voices his criticism on museum practice of his days and sees three contraditions:

•  17th en 18th century private-collections

1st PARADOX •  Now-a-days public-

collections of the ‘democratic’museum

•  Acting curators who collect, select, and present within their own academic paradigm.

2nd PARADOX

•  Current visitors do not necessarily have an academic back ground

•  Museum value system of collecting is often elitist: high-bourgeois or aristocratic is preferred to popular culture.

3rd PARADOX

•  Current visitors from all social strata of society

Every crisis leads to professional innovation

Professionalization of the museum field with a focus on visitors and audience development (strengthening of professional development, setting up specific vocational study programmes, etc...)

Internal professionalization through setting up of educational and visitors services in museums that gained more influence and impact.

Strengthening of visitors service in museums: information desks, routing and way finding, museum café, museum restaurant, museum shop...

Appliance of audience focussed presentation techniques within exhibitions.

Development of attractive temporary exhibitons.

Accomplishing ambitious refurbishment programmes.

Architectional adjustments with a ‘democratic’ infrastructure.

Setting up of additional programmes (outreach, workshops, events, etc…)

Using New Media and through that sharing of knowledge. Becoming part of the knowledge network society (e.g. museum 2.0).

Rationalisation collections: de-accessioning, reinterpreting and reframing (e.g. GLBT), strategic collecting (e.g. representation).

Inclusive Museum as a means for cultural change

Inclusive Museum •  Access § Physical § Intellectual § Psychological

•  Representation •  Participation

Inclusive Museum

•  Access §  Physical §  Intellectual §  Psychological

Inclusive Museum

•  Access §  Physical §  Intellectual §  Psychological

•  Representation

Social Inclusion

•  Access §  Physical §  Intellectual §  Psychological

•  Representation

TATE Unlock Art: Role of Women in Art h>p://bcove.me/1sq8crv4    

Social Inclusion

•  Access §  Physical §  Intellectual §  Psychological

•  Representation •  Participation

Nina  Simon  h4p://museumtwo.blogspot.nl/    

Nina  Simon  clip  from:  h4ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JoGYZRtBWk                  

Richard Sandell, see also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZh6jwx7kVw

Starting strategic alliances with third parties (focus-groups, schools, other cultural institutions, artists, media, etc…).

•  Save Haven for public debates and discussions about culture, human rights en social relationships.

h>p://www.dana

centre.org.uk/