The ideas examined in an article ~~ Summit of International Museum Directors:New Images, New strategies

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

http://www.npm.gov.tw/faimpsimd/index.htm

The National Palace Museum holds one of the finest collections of Chinese art in the world. It is also a world-renowned institution that conducts research on cultural objects while preserving them for future generations. Since Professor Tu Cheng-sheng took the post as Director of the Museum, he has devoted himself to promoting the Museum's collection both domestically and overseas through conventional styles and virtual image digitalization. With the continual development of technology, economics, and entertainment businesses, museums across the world are facing increasing challenges- including competition for sponsorship and patronage. Therefore, museums must adapt themselves to maintain their vital role within society.

The National Palace Museum hopes to begin a discourse concerning the challenges museums face in the 21st century when it holds the Summit of International Museum Directors. The four major issues to be discussed are: the direction museums should take in the conflicts between nationalism and universalism; how museums can find a balance between education and the seduction of leisure; how museums must face the challenges of business management and structural changes in museum organization; and the close relationship between museums and modern technology.

---------------------------------------
This Summit will discuss 4 details points as below, which will enable the future development of museums' new images and new strategies in incorporating academia, culture and entertainment in their exhibitions to attract a wider audience. This will make a huge difference and attraction for the people who are interested in art exhibitions from all over the world.

1. The Conflicts Between Nationalism and Universalism
Since the beginning of the Renaissance, the appearance of new ideologies resulted in a conceptual clash in the curatorial direction of museums. The different motivations sprang forth from competing ideologies and differing views of the ethos of a nation. The ardent nationalism that arose in the nineteenth century spurred many museums to promote their own national identity through celebrations of their physical artifacts or those of conquered or plundered nations, the vestiges of this potent political impulse is still visible in many museums today, and a country's history and national spirit can be weighed from the way objects are displayed in a museum. A competing ideological impulse-universalism, arguably no less an atavistic and primal instinct-later competed with the ethos of nationalism. This strain of thought sought to celebrate the collective greatness of man, and through museums the physical and intellectual pride of humanity as a whole. The influences on museum management by these two strains of thought vary with the political and social environments of different countries. The shaping of an individual museum's identity and collection provides a window onto the philosophy that suffuses the curatorial direction and its relation with the state.

2. The Pursuit of Knowledge, the Passing on of Education, and the Seduction of Leisure-Finding the Balance
Museums have been places for academic research and knowledge exchange since the concept of museums first arose. To satisfy the intellectual hunger and consumptive urges of the public, museums have placed an ever-growing emphasis on their educational role. In the past ten to twenty years, museums have sought to satisfy the public's desire for learning and competed for their leisure time in a society with ever more choices for entertainment. How can a museum balance its various roles-providing at once a competitive option for the passing of leisure time, with the fundamental roles as a forum for academic research and educator? Will it be possible to satisfy the interests of people from diverse cultural backgrounds with different levels of education?

3. Business Management and Structural Changes in Museum Organization
Many museums, with the exception of museums in the United Sates, relied on government funding in the past. In recent days, museums more commonly rely on their own ingenuity to raise funds to sustain operations. Therefore, in order to thrive in the evolving environment, museums need to apply principles of business management to its organization. Moreover, the multiplication of forms of entertainment, such as various types of museums, theme parks, etc., has presented museums with sharp competition for the attention of the public. What kinds of business management strategies/models will increase the loyalty of visitors to a museum in the face of this new competition? How does a museum transform into a corporate structure or a cost-conscious business without losing the spirit of its mission as a center for education and scientific inquiry? What kind of organizational structures are suitable for museums of varying size and purpose? How should museum administrators go about resolving the issues that accompany new organizational methods? And how can a museum enhance its ability to attract visitors in a competitive atmosphere? How can a museum maintain its original missions without becoming commercialized at the same time?

4. Museums and Modern Technology
Modern museums carry on the function of disseminating knowledge. Advances in information and technology have resulted in innovations in museum development in every way. Museums need to utilize technology to further their intended functions. Suggested topics include: how to apply technology to enhance a museum's interaction with its visitors, to encourage them to visit and keep their attention once inside the exhibition halls, and to enable them to find the information they want easily; how to use technology to increase museum management efficiency in all aspects, such as curatorial presentation, collection management, conservation, digital image management, digital museums, education activities, online and distance learning, and so on; and whether the increased reliance on technology can have a negative influence on a museum's mission.

[Author]

Posts