By Ogova Ondego
Published September 18, 2019
Following what is described as ‘profound healthy debate‘ by experts on a proposed new definition of the word ‘museum’, International Council of Museums (ICOM) that brings together houses of culture around the world has postponed the vote on the development.
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ICOM members were to have voted on the new, wordy and complicated definition of ‘museum’ at an Extra General Assembly in Kyoto, Japan, on September 7, 2019 before the vote was called off.
The winding definition that was to have been voted on by members describes museums as ‘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. 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 wellbeing’.
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In an article aptly titled What’s in a Word?, Agenda’s Communicating the Arts publication says the proposed meaning of ‘museum’ presents practitioners in the arts field ‘with an opportunity to think about wording and definitions’.
“What does this debate teach us about the way we use words in our institutions, be they museums, theatres, or libraries?” Agenda poses in Communicating the Arts. “How much importance do you give to wording within your own institution? How difficult and/or desirable would it be for all arts professionals to reach a consensus on words and definitions? The debate is ongoing.”
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