ICOM reopens discussion on new definition of the word "museum"

With a webinar to be held next Thursday, December 10, at 3 p.m., the International Council of Museums (ICOM ) will reopen the discussion on the new definition of the word "museum." Work had stopped after theKyoto Assembly in September 2019, when no agreement was reached due to too many differences in views among the various souls of ICOM. A climate of tension had ensued, leading to a long chain of resignations, starting with those of President Suay Aksoy, which had then led to the appointment of a new president, Italian Alberto Garlandini. Those who had resigned also included Jette Sandahl, chair of the Standing Committee on Museum Definition, Prospects and Potentials, and five members of the same committee, which had drafted the proposal for the new definition.

It has not been an easy year for ICOM, because in addition to the tears caused by the clashes over the definition of the word “museum” (an issue of radical importance, because it also determines the orientations of the countries that transpose the definition: whether museums should be kept closed during a pandemic, for example, may also depend on the definition of “museum”), it has had to deal, as everyone else has, with the Covid-19 health emergency. Now, however, the time seems ripe for the discussion to be reopened.

The webinar, titled Defining the museum in times of change: a way forward, will be led by the new co-chairs of the Committee for the Museum Definition, Prospect and Potentials, which has been totally revamped, even in name (a “2” has been added to the end of the official titling: “Standing Committee for the Museum Definition, Prospect and Potentials 2,” abbreviated to MDPP2), namely Lauran Bonilla-Merchav and Bruno Brulon, and will also feature the participation of Chairman Alberto Garlandini. During the meeting, the various stages of the methodology that is to lead to a new definition of “museum” will be described, with the aim of encouraging ICOM members and committees to actively participate in the process.

The webinar will be broadcast with simultaneous translations in French, English and Spanish and can be followed by following the instructions distributed by ICOM.

ICOM reopens discussion on new definition of the word "museum"

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