#Museums – musart research lab

Submit your proposal on Museums and Gender by 13th September 2019 and participate in the issue of Museum International being prepared by ICOM Belgique Wallonie-Bruxelles.

This issue of Museum International aims to generate serious reflection on gender issues in museums, how they are intertwined, and the role of museums in a world prioritising gender equality. Issues of gender impact every layer of museum practice, from governance to visitation. This issue focuses on gender representation within museum management, operations and trusteeship, as well as in collections, exhibitions, education and public programmes.

As the social construction and politics of gender vary between societies, issues of gender and sexuality within institutions are as broad as they are specific. Questions around whose objects and stories are being preserved and promoted, and from what perspective, are as much of a concern to history, culture and living museums as to science and natural history museums. A reflexive examination of the role cultural and heritage institutions play in understanding gender as well as how they manage their own gendered construction is overdue. Can museums lead the way in terms of institutional change on issues of gender equality?

Museums are envisaged as guardians of the past, educators/entertainers of the present, arbiters of the future. From the lack of female artists, to carefully stored away imagery of powerful goddesses and intersex beings, some museums have maintained an imperial model of cultural values embedded in the origins of most early collecting and display. Others are challenging this system of stereotypes and phobias to better represent a more inclusive history. Addressing this inherent gender bias in museums requires great effort on the part of the museum sector as a whole.

Suggested, but not limited, topics: Museum management and operations, Gender equality/biases (pay gap; workplace safety), Sexuality and discrimination, Representation, both historic and contemporary, Gender and imperialism, Policy and ethics, Sexism and misogyny, Education, Visitation, Monitoring and evaluation, Collections and archives, Public programming.

Provocative thoughts and solutions are most welcome.

Know how to apply!

The issue will be published, in collaboration with Taylor&Francis/Routledge, in June 2020.

ICOM selects each year for International Museum Day a theme that is at the heart of the concerns of society.

“Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition”

The role of museums in society is changing. Museums keep reinventing themselves in their quest for becoming more interactive, audience focused, community oriented, flexible, adaptable and mobile. They have become cultural hubs functioning as platforms where creativity combines with knowledge and where visitors can also co-create, share and interact.

While preserving their primary missions – collecting, conservation, communication, research, exhibition – museums have transformed their practices to remain closer to the communities they serve. Today they look for innovative ways to tackle contemporary social issues and conflict. By acting locally, museums can also advocate and mitigate global problems, striving to meet the challenges of today’s society proactively. As institutions at the heart of society, museums have the power to establish dialogue between cultures, to build bridges for a peaceful world and to define a sustainable future.

As museums increasingly grow into their roles as cultural hubs, they are also finding new ways to honour their collections, their histories and their legacies, creating traditions that will have new meaning for future generations and relevance for an increasingly diverse contemporary audience at a global level. This transformation, which will have a profound impact on museum theory and practice, also forces us to rethink the value of museums and to question the ethical boundaries that define the very nature of our work as museum professionals.

At once a focal point for the community and an integral part of a global network, museums offer a platform for translating local communities’ needs and views into a global context.

ICOM is now collecting information to create a college and promote it on IMD 2019: Museums as Cultural Hubs from Women’s perspectives.

If you are interested in participating, please send us your proposal by 7 May 2019 to info@iawm.international with the following information:

1) Title of your activity, or your current exhibition (in English);

2) 1 line of description (max. 15 words);

3) Photo.

Source

Tag: #Museums

Call for Proposals for ICOM Journal on Gender & Museum

Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition