Volume 62 Number 4 October 2019

EDITORIAL

A Discomforting Definition of Museum

I started this editorial at the 25th Interna- these terms are not true for all types of muse-
tional Council of Museums (ICOM) meeting ums. Rather than revisit those troubles, this edi-
in Kyoto where delegates found themselves torial explores the new definition as a migration
embroiled in redefining what constitutes a further into the weeds of restricting the term
museum. The proposed definition was pre- museum. This new definition seems to have
sented in a December 2018 report by the become more expansive, encompassing more
Museum Definition, Prospects and Potentials than two paragraphs, and prescribing even more
(MDPP) committee, to the ICOM Executive specific social impacts and outcomes. That new
Board. That report represented many years of two paragraph definition reads:
input from a vast network of ICOM commit-
tees. The final “consensus position” pushed at Museums are democratising, inclusive
the edges of past practice to suggest a more acti- and polyphonic spaces for critical dialogue
vist role of museums as contributors to their cul- about the pasts and the futures. Acknowledging
tures, redressing past wrongs, and aspiring to and addressing the conflicts and challenges of
leadership for a more inclusive and environmen- the present, they hold artefacts and specimens in
tally responsible global culture. The updated trust for society, safeguard diverse memories for
definition built on the last ICOM definition future generations and guarantee equal rights
formally adopted in August, 2007 by ICOM’s and equal access to heritage for all people.
22nd General Assembly in Austria. The 2007 Museums are not for profit. They are par-
version stated that: ticipatory and transparent, and work in active
partnership with and for diverse communities to
“A museum is a non-profit, permanent collect, preserve, research, interpret, exhibit, and
institution in the service of society and its enhance understandings of the world, aiming to
development, open to the public, which contribute to human dignity and social justice,
acquires, conserves, researches, communicates global equality and planetary wellbeing. (ICOM
and exhibits the tangible and intangible her- 2019)
itage of humanity and its environment for the
purposes of education, study and enjoyment.” As delegates contemplated the definition of
(ICOM 2019). museums in the halls and at events, the panel
program seemed to focus on topics that gener-
I bold some text to suggest that the defini- ated a fair bit of cultural discomfort with
tion contains specific terms that still troubling authority and practice. The presentations
twelve years after publication, primarily because started with a claim that museums are servants

John Fraser, Editor ([email protected]) is President & CEO of Knology, a New York based social science
research institute, and the 2019–2020 Past President of the Society for Environmental, Population, & Conserva-
tion Psychology, Division 34 of the American Psychological Association.

© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 501

of shared memory, and provide the platform for If a museum is only used by a select class of peo-
contemplation of our past with a view to the ple or their admission costs outstrip the capacity
future. But that discourse was not represented of a local group, can they really be considered
by the voices that sought to redefine museum. inclusive? Will the presence of these institutions
Rather, the dialogue suggests that the museum in the ICOM community bend the definition
itself is defined as a tool for promoting specific beyond utility? What of the museums that oper-
social values. While I may not disagree with ate on behalf of their national governments to
these values, the resurgence of fascism, intoler- perpetuate the views of the dominant culture at
ance, and human trafficking of displaced people the expense of any minority? Is this definition
are all evidence that the aspirational definition intended to winnow the ranks or status of some
cannot be easily reconciled with how museums museums in the international community?
are part of our current political world. More- I fully ascribe to the belief that museums
over, it suggests a thin veneer of social accept- can advance inclusivity and critical civic dia-
ability as an apology for the persistent use of logue. I aspire to see all museums working to
museums in service of a political elite. create a better world. The definitional problem,
I would argue that this aspirational defini- however, is to assume valance or purpose rather
tion, while laudable from a civil rights perspec- than what constitutes the museum form for
tive, does not acknowledge that many museums good or bad. The new ICOM platform pro-
are subject to the power of the purse. They work poses conformance with a set of universal values
within the constraints of their governance. that may be easily co-opted to winnow the field.
Many museum professionals chafe at the idea Were we to consider how museums operated in
that their collections and histories are emblem- the past, with their own assumptions about citi-
atic of an imperialist hegemony. But we must zenship and civil rights, quite literally acting as
acknowledge that the museum form can be used extension of an acquisitive cultural imperialism,
for purposes that this definition seeks to shouldn’t museums be more circumspect in our
exclude. There remain museums that are dedi- assumptions today? I suggest that the new defi-
cated to theological pursuits that deny human nition is an over-reach that undermines the
rights to a class of individuals. I receive press understanding of the affordances of the form or
releases regularly from museums that do not how the form might be misused but still consti-
have a passing interest in subject matter that tute a museum.
may have consequential influence on human More importantly, the new definition may
dignity, equality, or planetary well-being. These be so prescriptive as to fall by the wayside as a
places work within the form and functions of meaningless platitude based on the very actions
what the public calls a museum, but more likely of the major institutions who claim to support
to reinforce the values and beliefs of their pub- ICOM.
lics than fulfill the goals imagined by the ICOM From a purely economics perspective, I am
definition. discomforted by the idea that a museum must
To accept this new prescription leads one to be a not-for-profit. Governments are not profit-
ask if the large and well-resourced art museums making entities, but they are anything but non-
that seldom draw audience members from low profits. Government operated or funded muse-
socio-economic status groups, would meet the ums work within the confines of the prevailing
social prescription at the heart of this definition. political winds. Government patronage restricts

502 Editorial: A Discomforting Definition of Museum

the work of museum professionals to the values buildings a museum based only on their use of a
imposed by their public masters. cultural institution to fund non-museum work?
In the case of fascist regimes, monarchies, While many delegates at the ICOM con-
or some religious organizations, we see a great ference supported the new definition as an easily
deal of evidence that the museum form can be ratified bit of international bureaucracy, it also
readily employed to support doctrine, propa- seemed that there was a rush to gather all of the
ganda, exclusion, vilification, and misinforma- world’s contemporary problems into one large
tion. These institutions can present the grand bucket and claim that museums can solve these
works of a cultural history and celebrate xeno- issues. We heard great lauding of the nobility of
phobic world views at the same time. There are the museum enterprise as an interventionist
museums that laud the science and engineering entity, supported by evidence of those who have
behind the global petroleum industry, a system used the museum form to catalyze change in
we now understand to be the basis of our climate their communities. But I was left wondering if
crisis. These uses of museums in service of a the definition reached beyond its bounds to
story told of our culture for public consumption ascribe specific use of a form rather than the
is a museological pursuit, whether our interna- form itself.
tional community finds the activities of their It appeared that my discomfort was shared
owners, curators, and enablers repugnant or by others. Behind the scenes drama could not
laudable. These institutions are part of our fam- be held in check. After witnessing a glowing
ily, and we must carry that burden and shame presentation offering irrefutable examples of
when we define what a museum is. museums whose pursuits illustrate the highest
One would argue that the entire sentence values of the new definition, the only contrary
declaring that museums are not for profit is a mention allowed in the presentation was lim-
self-limiting critique of the sector’s inability to ited to a single pre-planned dissent afforded
purposefully achieve benefit. While my voice as only a few short minutes and not from a mem-
editor of this journal has little import in the ber of the panel. That remark expressed trepi-
political machinations of ICOM, I would argue dation about the definition as a consensus
that society will reap profits from the active statement by twenty-two ICOM committees.
work to promote an inclusive society or the work These concerns, raised by Brazilian scholar
to restore the nature on which all life depends. Bruno Brulon Soares, left me feeling that the
The economics of how they do this work is irrel- formal presentation was hastily convened pro-
evant. paganda to support a rubber stamp vote. I was
More practically, what do we call a museum left feeling that an affirmative vote by a bare
that meets all other criteria of the definition but majority would reflect an imperialism that the
also generates profit of a single Yen? What do definition sought to overcome.
we call a government museum whose revenues At another session, I was heartened by
are redirected for non-museum purposes like Sarah Sutton’s presentation of the We Are Still
the funding of road repair or the embellishment In movement in the USA, a collective of state
of a presidential palace? If a national museum and non-governmental entities who have agreed
generates funding to support democratic elec- to fulfill the American commitments to the
tions in a formerly totalitarian state, do we deny COP21 Paris Agreement irrespective of their
them the right to call their exhibitions and federal government’s withdrawl. Thanks to that

John Fraser 503

movement, there is a groundswell of museums cultural assets of their former colonies and con-
dedicating their practice to addressing our glo- quests. But the defense of their retention of the
bal climate crisis. That result suggests that these spoils of conquest, however seemed distant from
museums are examples of institutions that work the more important work involved in reconcilia-
within the new definition. But the number of tion and healing, the foundations of a future
signatories remains a small portion of the peace. The museum definition, unfortunately,
museum sector in the USA. That trepidation by cannot ignore past complicity and perpetuation
the majority demonstrates that the museum of oppression and harm. When the definition
definition cannot require this purpose, it is only claims that museums contribute to human dig-
an example of how the form can be used. It is as nity, it hides uncomfortable truths about the
if we define a cup because it is designed to hold source of their collections.
soup or tea, but pretend it is no longer a cup I arrived at the meeting looking forward to
when it holds some old screws or fond memories a robust discussion of what constitutes the con-
of our grandmother. temporary museum. I was left to wonder why it
The contentious sessions on repatriation, is important to require museums to be about the
reparation, and restorative justice for those global environmental crisis, the solution to
whose cultures were appropriated by well-in- imperialism, or even to question whether one
tentioned imperialists of past generations also museum’s income model might exclude it from
demonstrated that we cannot ask the British being part of our global enterprise.
Museum or the Louvre to cease and desist from Over the past decade and a half, we’ve
calling themselves museums. Bonita Bennett’s sought out papers for this journal that engage
work with the District Six Museum in South more actively in the societal issues of our time.
Africa, offered insight into what a museum is Unfortunately, the ICOM definition seems
versus what a museum can choose to be. That freighted with indefensible valence, values that
example shows that the museum form is well overstep what a museum is, and lays claim to a
suited to working with the [specific local] memo- specific view of what a museum is required to
ries of communities who suffered from generations be. For the next generation, the ICOM com-
of oppression can contribute meaningfully to the munity is seeking to be held to an exhaustive set
cultural reconstruction and restitution. Excellence of prescriptions rather than a purposefully clear
in the use of the form for civil rights. Compar- and simple description of a type of social enter-
ing that museum’s work to the British Museum prise. For me, the committee has offered useful
and the Louvre demonstrates that we should recommendations for civic action that fit well
never construe social action as the sole use of with the museum form, but those purposes
that type of public or private institution, even if should not be construed to be a definition of
the District Six museum is guiding some muse- what museums are. END
ums toward clarity in social purpose.
REFERENCES
More disturbing, however, were the ses-
sions on restitution, repatriation, reconciliation, ICOM. 2019. Museum Definition; Creating a new
and healing. Representatives of former colonial museum definition – the backbone of ICOM.
nations continue to maintain policies that the Accessed September 30, 2019. Retrieved from
plunder of prior eras is their right. We continue https://icom.museum/en/activities/standards-
to see these institutions holding on to the guidelines/museum-definition/

504 Editorial: A Discomforting Definition of Museum