Program 2012

Dear colleagues!

Museums are bound to history and the present.
Museums are inextricably linked to the past through their historical development as an institution and through their collections. Directors, curators and mediators always have the chance of presenting the past to us in the light of present experience and judgment and taking a position on it, based upon a critical consideration of historical events and developments as well as the examination and presentation of collections.

Exhibitions and events also give them the opportunity to address current issues of social relevance, with the aim of raising awareness, impacting public opinion, and shaping developments. Thus, if the museum is understood to be a social field of action, then the role of those responsible for museums is to help the public relate to historical topics, put current experiences into perspective and to get their bearings in a plural context.

In 2012, our conferences, excursions, workshops and other events will deal with the question of how this responsibility should be practised in museums: In cooperation with the Wien Museum (Vienna Museum), we will deal with the question of how human remains and other sensitive objects can be handled in collections today. As part of a five-day excursion to Israel, we will devote ourselves to an examination of how the museum deals with a contemporary history and present full of conflict, and on our tour of the museums of Paris, we will look at how the museum handles the topic of France’s colonial past. At our conference in Maribor in autumn, we will discuss the question of what to do when the political borders change, but not the authorities responsible for museums.
In addition to the events mentioned above, I hope you find a 2012 programme that appeals to you!

Bettina Habsburg-Lothringen,
Director of the Museum Academy