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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