Dear All,
As a complete outsider, I am even more skeptical. I have the feeling
that there is a recent trend to turn museums into entertainment enterprises.
At least the exhibition aspect seems to dominate discussions I follow.
For me, a museum should be entertaining, provide high-quality education,
research, preservation of cultural heritage, information service
and act as a trusted resource. Forgive me, if I forgot something.
"best" is a one-dimensional attribute. I see at least 6 dimensions.
A "Nobel Prize" is something different. The prize is for the most important
progress in some aspect. That does not imply any absolute measure
between the dimensions. I would argue for a prize for specific progress.
I prefer a prize for the museum rather than the museologist. I think there
is more promotion to be done to move the organisations rather than
individuals with bright ideas...
Martin
Virgil Nitulescu wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
> I think that the problem prof. Pinna has put into the debate is very
> interesting and it would deserve a larger debate. As for myself, I am
> cautious.
> The ICOM Romanian national Committee has established, in 1999, a yearly
> award. It is awarded to the author(s) of an exhibition. Not to a museum, but
> to the person(s) who have made the thematical concept of the exhibition. We
> have avoided to say that the award is offered to the best exhibition or
> something similar. It is, simply, the "Award of the ICOM RNC". We are not
> saying that the exhibition is the best or not. Are permitted to enter the
> competition only the exhibitions created by individual members of ICOM or
> hosted by museums that are institutional members of ICOM - that, for
> attrtacting more members to ICOM and for enhancing our members with such
> honorary merits (though the winer receives a sum of about 300 USD in hand,
> obtained from sponsorships). We have set some (in our opinion) solid
> criteria in order to avoid contestations (though we are not admitting them,
> by the rules of the contest). The contest becomes more and more popular for
> our members.
> I have to admit that it was my idea to establish such an award an that I was
> inspired by the scheme organised by the European Museum Forum (as the
> National Correspondent for Romania of the EMF).
> However, for ICOM I would be extremely cautious. How could we compare a
> countryside museum form Kenya with the Pompidou Centre? Who would be the
> members of the jury? How could we finance the process of "screening"? And I
> could, probably, add other questions.
> I don't say it would be impossible or not desirable. However, I am
> skeptical.
> Dr. Virgil Stefan NITULESCU
> Vicechair of the ICOM Romanian National Committee
> Consilier
> CAMERA DEPUTATILOR
> Str. Izvor nr. 2-4, Sect. 5
> 050563 Bucuresti
> tel: +40.21.4021284
> fax: +40.21.3142913
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Giovanni Pinna" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2003 5:34 PM
> Subject: An ICOM prize for the best museum?
>
>
>
>>As assigned by President Jacques Perot, I was representing ICOM on the
>>occasion of The Best in Heritage second edition,held in Dubrovnik from
>>18 to
>>21 September 2003.
>>The event aimed to present all those museum achievements - or other
>>achievements linked to cultural heritage - which have been awarded a
>>special
>>prize or mention during the last few years.
>>18 projects were there to represent 16 countries and they showed the
>>current
>>trend of museology: this is the main value and the remarkable interest
>>of
>>the event.
>>The event also showed that several national and international awards are
>>assigned to museums every year. Among these, the very best known is the
>>European Museum of the Year Award assigned by the European Museum Forum
>>-
>>such an organization brings back to memory the activity and the passion
>>for
>>museums which qualifies Kenneth Hudson's life - .
>>However,all this has pushed me to wonder if ICOM, as representative of
>>the
>>museums community in the world, should create a yearly award for the
>>best
>>museum achievements in the world, or for the best paper or book on
>>Museology, or both:
>>a sort of "Nobel Prize" for museology, not excluding
>>extra-european museums, as it already happens for EMF.
>>This kind of award would have moreover many functions: for exemple it
>>would
>>provide ICOM with wide visibility all over the world thanks to an
>>international event, it would create a forum for debates,it would incite
>>researches as for what relates to museum communication, it would spur
>>museum
>>and their owners to renovate the production of museums achievements.
>>I here suggest this idea to the Executive Council, to the Advisory
>>Committee
>>and to all ICOM members, urging to open a debate on this.
>>
>>Giovanni Pinna
>>Member of the Executive Council
>>
>>
>>-- Giovanni Pinna -----------------------
>>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>web page: http://giovanni.pinna.cx
>>------------------------------------------------
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