The International Day of Museums
Today we are at the gates of the International Day of Museums, a celebration that will take place tomorrow and that offers an open day throughout the country. This year, the motto chosen by ICOM is “Museums for education and research”, highlighting the fundamental role that museum institutions play in the field of education and their commitment to research and dissemination of new ideas.
Research in Museums
What is the scope, quality and possibilities of research in museums? This is a question that has generated debate and was recently addressed in a conversation between Oriol Picas, director of the Museum of Medieval Art in Vic, and historian Joaquim Nadal. This discussion took place during the presentation of the new issue of the Notebooks of the Episcopal Museum of Vic.
In this conversation, the question was raised to what extent a museum’s collections limit its research activity and whether this is necessary. There was also debate about the limits of research activity in a museum and whether such limits really exist.
The Relationship between Collections and Research
In some cases, such as the Disseny Hub Barcelona, there is a tendency to disassociate the action of museums from the objects kept in their collections. This disconnect can generate debate and raise questions about the role of collections in a museum’s research activity.
On the other hand, there are museums such as the Marès Museum, the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya and the Medieval Museum of Vic that have succeeded in establishing a harmony between their legacy and the research they carry out. These museums have carried out research applied to their collections with very interesting results.
Innovative Exhibitions
An example of this applied research is the exhibition “Beasts”, curated by Marc Sureda and Judit Verdaguer at the Museum of Medieval Art in Vic. This exhibition combines immersive rooms with pieces from the museum’s collection, offering a new perspective on the relationship between humans and animals.
On the other hand, the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia has recently inaugurated the “IMPERIVM” exhibition, which offers a re-reading of its permanent collection through audiovisual proposals. This exhibition invites us to reflect on the similarity between the Roman Empire and today’s society.
The Importance of Collections
In short, on this International Museum Day it is clear that there is no research without a collection. Collections are the basis for research and innovation in museums. As Joaquim Nadal says, “a museum without a collection is not a museum”.