Arte Original joins the celebration of International Museum Day, which has been held every May 18 since 1977, an activity coordinated since then by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), an organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of the cultural, scientific, and natural heritage, both material and immaterial, of the world.
So, what is it that gives rise to what is today a museum?
Well, a collection, a product of collecting, that passion that human beings have experienced since ancient times to acquire and preserve artistic and non-artistic objects, which in some cultures responded, in principle, to social recognition, ostentation of power and wealth, or, in other cases, for decorative purposes. In other words, without a collection, without artistic, historical, archaeological, and scientific heritage, there are no museums.
It is pertinent to quote the concept that ICOM establishes about a museum, which defines it as: “… a non-profit institution, permanent, at the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, preserves, investigates, communicates, and exposes the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study, and recreation.”
On the basis of this concept, the world’s museums have developed their activities aimed at the community where they are located and for all types of visitors. A museum generates theoretical and conceptual reflections that derive from a science known as museology and from another discipline, museography, which deals with the set of techniques and practices concerning its structure and operation.
It is worth mentioning that, although collections are one of the reasons for being of museums, and of the activities derived from them, these days are also characterized by being centers that go beyond the heritage they preserve, study and expose; that is to say, that museums are spaces that generate knowledge, places of communication, diffusion, teaching, reflection and discussion on problems that affect the individual, society and the environment.
The objective of International Museum Day is to create social awareness about the fact that these cultural centers are important entities for cultural exchange, the enrichment and identity of cultures, as well as for the development of mutual understanding, collaboration, and peace between communities. Hence, this year the central theme is The power of Museums as entities capable of transforming mentalities, of generating positive changes in their communities or societies in the world for a better future.
Written by our curator, José Gregorio Noroño.
Arte Original
