Museums are in a new paradigm where participatory practice, social relevancy, access and reflective representation are at stake.

1. Museum
as
Temple
or
Forum?
Pilot-­‐Project
in
Museum
Studies
Polytechnical
Museum
Moscow
Higher
School
of
Economics
Reinwardt
Academy
Ruben
Smit

2. Please, define your own
meaningful museum
definition!
Muse u m as Temple?

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

4. 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.

5. “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.

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

8. Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
1837- 41, George Basevi

10. British Museum, London
Robert Smirke 1823-47

12. Field Museum, Chicago
1893, Charles Atwood

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

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

19. The National Gallery, London
1832-38, William Wilkins

20. The National Gallery, London
1832-38, William Wilkins

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

22. Rijksmuseum
1885, Pierre J.H. Cuypers

23. New Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Maart 2013 Cruz en Ortis

24. Guggenheim, NYC
1959, Frank Lloyd Wright

25. Centre Pompidou
1976, Rogers en Piano

26. Nouveau Louvre
1989, I.M. Pei

27. Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht
1995, Aldo Rossi

28. Groninger Museum
1995, Alessandro Mendini

29. NEMO – Science Centre,
Amsterdam
1997, Renzo Piano

30. Jewish Museum, Berlin
2001, Daniel Liebeskind

31. Jewish Museum, Berlin
2001, Daniel Liebeskind

32. New Wing Royal Ontario Museum
2006, Daniel Liebeskind

33. A m u s e u m is . .?

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

35. 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

36. '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

37. '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

38. 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.)

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

40. H o w did we get th ere?

41. heritage
functions
institutions
society
‘New' Museology Peter van Mensch

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

43. In those days the then director of the Brooklyn
Museum, Duncan Cameron, published an article:
‘The Museum, a Temple or the Forum’

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

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

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

47. • 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.

48. To whom does this museum belong?
• Visitors see these objects as material witnesses of
ideas, dreams, wishes and feelings of current or past
times.

49. • 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:

50. • 17th en 18th century
private-collections
1st PARADOX
• Now-a-days public-collections
of the
‘democratic’museum

51. • Acting curators who
collect, select, and
present within their own
academic paradigm.
2nd PARADOX
• Current visitors do not
necessarily have an
academic back ground

52. • 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

53. Every crisis leads to
professional innovation

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

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

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

57. Appliance of audience focussed presentation
techniques within exhibitions.

58. Development of attractive temporary exhibitons.

59. Accomplishing ambitious refurbishment programmes.

60. Architectional adjustments with a ‘democratic’
infrastructure.

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

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

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

64. Inclusive Museum as a
means for cultural change

65. Inclusive Museum
• Access
§ Physical
§ Intellectual
§ Psychological
• Representation
• Participation

66. Inclusive Museum
• Access
§ Physical
§ Intellectual
§ Psychological

67. Inclusive Museum
• Access
§ Physical
§ Intellectual
§ Psychological
• Representation

68. Social Inclusion
• Access
§ Physical
§ Intellectual
§ Psychological
• Representation
TATE Unlock Art: Role of Women in Art
h>p://bcove.me/1sq8crv4

69. Social Inclusion
• Access
§ Physical
§ Intellectual
§ Psychological
• Representation
• Participation
Nina
Simon
h4p://museumtwo.blogspot.nl/

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

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

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

73. • Save Haven for public debates and discussions about
culture, human rights en social relationships.
h>p://www.danacentre.org.uk/