Dear A.,

nearly all statements in that matter came to the same conclusion: for
legal and ethical problems its a No-No for every curator. All writers
agreeing to the director's position should know that they are walking on
extremely dangerous grounds. The best thing to solve this delicate
question in relation to your own director is to inform him on the
problems he himself could get - it even could cost his own job one day.
It is also his job to make things clear to the patrons. 

May I touch a sideline too? Has it been eventually one patron or a
powerful group of patrons installing your director into his position? A
little bit it looks like that. Then his position already is a "thank
you" and you will get lot of internal problems referring to the accepted
international museum ethics...

Best regards


Dr. Christian Müller-Straten
Editor MUSEUM AKTUELL




"Reine Hauser" <[log in to unmask]> schrieb:
You might check the museum association of the UK's website, which
states
under its Code of Ethics
http://www.museumsassociation.org/asset_arena/text/cs/code_of_ethics.pdf
:

2.14 Refuse to identify, authenticate or value items in private
ownership for personal payment, gifts or favours.

Private ownership would thus include things being auctioned or
otherwise
on the market.  I am familiar with several US museums that do not
permit
their curatorial or other staff to comment to donors, collectors or
others on the financial value of objects, expected appreciation or
depreciation of such items or related issues.  In part, it's because of
ethical conflicts; in part, it's because of possible liability issues
for the museum.  Discussing aesthetics is fine; discussing valuations
and the like is not.




Verlag Dr. Christian Müller-Straten / MUSEUMS AGENTUR
Kunzweg 23, 81243 München, T. 089-839 690 43, Fax -44
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