News Archive

Category: ICOM News

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The new museum definition is out!

In fact, two new museum definitions.

Following a long public debate, ICOM’s standing committee on Museum Definition, Prospects and Potentials (MDPP) has proposed two new museum definitions to the  Executive Board of ICOM, which will be voted  next September in Kyoto.

Read more here.

And here they are, the two definitions:

DEFINITION 1

Museums are democratising, inclusive and polyphonic spaces for critical dialogue about the pasts and the futures. Acknowledging and addressing the conflicts and challenges of the present, they hold artefacts and specimens in trust for society, safeguard diverse memories for future generations and guarantee equal rights and equal access to heritage for all people.

DEFINITION 2

Museums are not for profit. They are participatory and transparent, and work in active partnership with and for diverse communities to collect, preserve, research, interpret, exhibit, and enhance understandings of the world, aiming to contribute to human dignity and social justice, global equality and planetary well being.

A new museum definition was always likely to be controversial and this announcement is generating considerable debate.

What do you think? Please leave your comments below, we would love to hear from you.

UMAC is still debating how to vote in Kyoto, in any case at this point we are joining those who say that more internal debate is needed.

Read here a brief speech by the UMAC Chair on the importance of the museum definition for university museums, Milan, 8 July.

 

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ICOM 2022 will be in Prague

Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan (20190202_OldTown@Praha_9271, CC BY-SA 2.0)

From ICOM:

Following the Advisory Council’s vote on the host city for the ICOM General Conference 2022 last June, ICOM and its National Committee in Egypt had started to prepare for the 26th ICOM General Conference in Alexandria. Both parties strived to meet the conditions and requirements for hosting the ICOM General Conference, an event which often attracts more than 3,000 participants and includes 150 sessions and workshops. The General Conference in Alexandria in 2022 was to be the first one in an African and Arab country. Alexandria, as home to the ancient and modern “biblioteca” would have been an attractive venue.

However, after ten months of preparation, ICOM received a letter from the Governor of Alexandria and e-mails from the National Committee ICOM Egypt, both stating that they are not able to organise the General Conference 2022 in Alexandria. The ICOM Executive Board had therefore no option – much to its regret – but to accept this decision and to cease the process.

As the city of Prague, Czech Republic, was the second candidate favoured by the Advisory Council, the ICOM Executive Board therefore took the decision to mandate its National Committee in the Czech Republic to organise the 26th ICOM General Conference in Prague. ICOM Czech Republic has now established an Organising Committee that has begun to work with partners on all levels from local to national and international. ICOM looks forward with pleasure and confidence to holding its General Conference in the Czech capital in 2022.

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International Museum Day 2019

18 May is fast approaching and ICOM has prepared all the necessary information for planning and disseminating the activities of your university museum and collection.

Here are all the materials you need:

  • a IMD2019 kit with all the history, context, reasons and tips for organising activities, as well as communication tools.
  • the official IMD2919 website, with posters and banners to download in your language.
  • an interactive map, where you can tell the world, in real time, about your activities.

UMAC strongly encourages all university museums and collections to join this international celebration.

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UMTWS 2019 edition was a success

Last week, university museum professionals from all over China gathered at the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum, Shanghai Jiao Tong University for another edition of the UMTWS.

This year, the course counted with the presence of Marta Lourenço (UMAC Chair), Jill Hartz (President Emeritus of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries USA), Sébastien Soubiran (President of Universeum, the European Academic Heritage Network) and Andrew Simpson (UMAC Board). Moreover, from China, and apart from Laishun AN (Vice-President of ICOM), high officials from the cultural sector attended, namely Qiang GUAN and Xiaobo CHU, respectively responsible for the cultural heritage of China and Shanghai.

Kai Zhang and Hu Hao were our kind hosts at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Xiaobo CHU, Qiang GUAN, Marta Lourenço, Laishun AN and Kai ZHANG.

UMAC and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have agreed to continue their partnership, diversifying the training offer to suit different types of professionals and creating new initiatives to promote university museums in China.

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UMAC and QLM-SJTU consolidate their partnership

Marta C. Lourenço and Kai Zhang, Qian Xuesen Library and Museum, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Today, UMAC and the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, have publicly agreed to take their partnership to a more substantial level.

Here are some of the changes:

  • UMTWS (University Museum Training Weeks Shanghai) will be more directed to the needs and aspirations of university museum professionals.
  • There will be internships in overseas university museums for Chinese university museum professionals.
  • A high profile event, called the SJTU Directors’ Forum, will bring together university museum directors, higher education senior administrators and stakeholders from the museum and culture sectors, to discuss strategic issues related to universities, museums, heritage and culture.
  • The creation of a Research Centre for University Museums and Collections at SJTU.

The agreement was made after the opening session of the UMTWS 2019, and counted with the presence of An Laishun, Vice-President of ICOM; Guan Qiang, Vice-President of the National Cultural Heritage of China; and Hu Hao, Member of the SJTU University Council, among others.

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Kyoto #UMAC2019 Program just released!

The preliminary program of the 19th UMAC Annual Conference in Kyoto has just been released.

AND WHAT A PROGRAM!

Here are some of the highlights:

  • 2 Keynote Speakers
  • 62 Oral Papers
  • 45 Poster Papers
  • 1 Special Session with ICTOP (ICOM International Committee for the Training of Personnel)
  • 1 Special Session about University Museums and Collections in Japan
  • 3 pre-conference Workshops
  • 1 post-conference Seminar (Tokyo)
  • Visits to university museums and collections in Kyoto

Papers from: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, UK, USA.

Download the  UMAC 2019 DETAILED PROGRAM

More info about UMAC 2019.

Registrations for ICOM 2019 — do not forget to register before April 30!

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Did you register for UMAC Kyoto yet?

This September, Kyoto will host the 25th General Conference of ICOM, the biggest and most important conference of museums in the world, with more than 3.000 participants from all international backgrounds. This worldwide reputed hub for exchange and innovation will tackle the theme “Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition”.

It is through this lens that around 3,000 museum professionals from all over the world will explore the main topics of the conference. ICOM’s International Committees and many National Committees, Regional Alliances and Affiliated Organisations will organise conferences, workshops and other events. Together with Standing Committees, the secretariat will offer plenary and panel sessions about sustainability, the museum definition, disaster risk management and cultural diversity.

Have you already registered for #ICOMKyoto2019?

Early bird tickets will be available until April 30 (00:00 GMT+9). Book your pass today and save up to 100€.

Read more about the UMAC Annual Conference program in Kyoto here.

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ICOM Museum International

Museum International: The issues ‘Museums in a Digital World’ and ‘Museums and Contested Histories’ are now available

 

FROM ICOM:

Following the recent announcement of our new partnership with Taylor and Francis/Routledge to publish ICOM’s journal, Museum International, we are delighted to announce that ICOM members can now enjoy unlimited access to the journal’s full online archive and current issues through their ICOM member space.

To complement this, Taylor & Francis/Routledge are offering ICOM members free access to five of their museum- and heritage-related journals : Heritage  & Society, Museum History Journal, Museum Management and Curatorship, Museums & Social Issues: A Journal of Reflective Discourse, Journal of Heritage Tourism.

We hope you will enjoy reading the recently published issues of Museum International: ‘Museums in a Digital World’ (Vol. 70, No. 277-278) and ‘Museums and Contested Histories’ (Vol. 70, No. 279-280).

In Museums in a Digital World, authors describe the manifold opportunities digital technology has provided museums in terms of accessibility, inclusion and the democratisation of culture.

This issue examines the new roles museum objects, collections and professionals are assuming in this digital age. It outlines the different strategies that are being implemented by museums to adapt to this ever-changing environment, and presents innovative initiatives in co-creation.

Museums and Contested Histories highlights museums’ increasing willingness to address past traumatic events through mediation and experimentation.

By acknowledging and expressing multiple points of view and voices, museums might well play a crucial reconciliatory role in ongoing controversies, giving a voice to the voiceless, shifting narrative focus, and upholding pluralism.

We hope that you will find this resource useful in your professional life and research.

To access, enter your account in ICOM’s website and click on ‘Read Museum International‘.

 

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SCAM ALERT

From our ICOMON colleagues:

It has been brought to ICOM’s attention that there are some websites and individuals pretending to be ICOM and claim to provide, for a fee, fake certificates of authenticity or allowing free import and export, particularly concerning African cultural goods. False collector cards are sometimes offered as well.

The scammers claim that these certificates exonerate the holder from the obligation to present any other document such as the ownership title, the export license and certificate, the certificate of expertise, the certificate of authenticity, etc. They act most often by phone, email, and through fraudulent sites usurping the name, logo and appearance of ICOM’s website.

ICOM, the international association of museums and museum professionals, does not participate in any way in negotiations in the art market. ICOM does not issue any certificate of expertise, origin, authenticity, registration or circulation for cultural property. No international organisation has a mandate in this area. Only competent national authorities are authorised to issue this type of document.

This scam has already claimed many victims, especially concerning Cameroon. We urge you to be extremely vigilant, and to respect the national and international legislation in force when you carry out transactions involving cultural goods.
UNESCO is also a victim of this scam and has published an alert on its website.

Be very careful of:

  • websites that mention several associations or international organisations in their URLs (eg ICOM and UNESCO)
  • persons who get in touch with you proposing expensive documents: ICOM does not issue any!