今天的博物馆站在了哪里?——对ICOM博物馆定义修订的初步观察与分析

Where Are Today's Museums Standing?A Preliminary Observation and Discussion of A New Museum Definition of ICOM

为响应21世纪以来博物馆领域所出现的深刻变革,特别是在2015年UNESCO通过关于博物馆的建议书的推动下,ICOM于2016年7月启动了第九次博物馆定义修订,此举引起业界内外的极大关注。历经三年的全球范围的激烈讨论之后,由ICOM执委会从269个定义建议案中遴选出的新定义草案未能按原计划在2019年9月ICOM京都大会上完成修订所必要的法律程序。梳理和分析发现,人们对新定义草案中的几个重要方面提出了质疑:对主流博物馆认知的关键性改变能否被普遍接受,能否与UNESCO《2015博物馆建议书》的指导性意见完全衔接,是否与《ICOM章程》存在潜在冲突,会否使博物馆在一些国家面临法律和管理上的困惑,等等。此次定义的修订是ICOM历史上最民主的进程之一,也折射出博物馆传统派与革新派之间的学术碰撞。但无论从何种立场出发,一个富有理性和专业智慧的博物馆定义,必须在博物馆的机构目标(为什么利益服务)和特定的行为对象之间达成有效的平衡,它既不是一个基于理想的使命宣言,也不是一系列业务行为的简单罗列。目前ICOM已重新调整了定义修订工作的路线图,努力在2022年ICOM布拉格大会上最终形成具有最广泛代表性的新的博物馆定义。

In response to the profound changes that have taken place in the museum field since the 21 st century and driven by The Recommendation Concerning the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, Their Diversity and Their Role in Society adopted by UNESCO in 2015, ICOM initiated the ninth revision of its museum definition in July 2016, which has aroused great attention from both inside and outside the field. After three years of intense global discussions, a new definition selected by ICOM’s Executive Committee from 269 proposals failed to reach an agreement at the Extraordinary General Assembly taking place on September 7, 2019 in Kyoto as necessary for its legal operation. Debates surrounding the proposed new definition have been raised a number of concerns: whether the fundamental changes of the perception on mainstream museums could be widely accepted;whether the proposed new definition is able to be consistent with UNESCO 2015 Recommendation concerning museums;whether it would be problematic with The ICOM Statutes;whether it will bring legal and regulatory challenges to museums in some countries. This time’s revision of the definition is one of the most democratic processes in the history of ICOM, and it also reflects the academic collision between the traditionalist and progressive wings of the museum. But no matter from which standpoint, a rational and professional definition of a museum must strike a balance between the museum’s institutional goals(what interests it serves) and specific objectives. It is neither a mission statement based on ideals, nor simply a list of a series of operational activities. ICOM has readjusted its working agenda with the aim to form a broadly representative new definition at ICOM’s next General Conference, which will take place in Prague in 2022.