Releases
2024
Venezuela present at the annual ICOM meetings in Marseille, France.
Los días 11 y 12 de junio del presente año, se realizaron la 96 sesión del Consejo Consultivo y la 39 Asamblea del ICOM, donde se establecieron: presentaciones, diálogos, informes e información de base para el gremio de museos y desempeñar un papel fundamental en la configuración del futuro de los museos de todo el mundo.
En estas reuniones se celebraron eventos clave, como una actualización de la revisión del Código Deontológico, un avance de la próxima Conferencia General del ICOM 2025 y presentaciones sobre las actividades de la Secretaría del ICOM y el Consejo Consultivo.
En las diferentes actividades pudimos conocer a Emma Nardi presidenta del ICOM, la Directora General Medea Ekner, saludar a Antonio Rodríguez Presidente del Consejo Consultivo y la vicepresidente Eunice Báez además de los colegas de México, República Dominicana, Brasil, Perú, Chile entre otros.
Los actos estuvieron acompañados por los hubs temáticos, y las visitas a las exposiciones. Las actividades se realizaron en MUCEUM (Museo de las civilizaciones de Europa y el Mediterráneo) excelente infraestructura contemporánea que alberga colecciones de importancia universal.
Uno de los aspectos representativos fueron los Hub temáticos: mesas de trabajo, donde cada uno de los miembros, podía opinar acerca de los temas de interés de esta convocatoria.
Luisa de Peña y Bruno Brulon lideraron el Hub temático del Comité de Ética quienes explicaron los alcances del proyecto del nuevo documento del Código de Ética a presentarse para su aprobación en Paris.
Descolonización Terry Nyambe y Hanna Pennock presentaron el casi de estudio de la Descolonización en los museos en diferentes partes del mundo. El ICOM aborda de forma proactiva la descolonización, los derechos culturales y la democracia asi como el papel que desempeñaron los museos en la colonización. El ICOM apoya a los museos que se comprometan con las comunidades y destaca las buenas prácticas en este ámbito.
ICOM Award se orientó como el nuevo premio de las Buenas Prácticas de Museos en Desarrollo Sostenible donde se reconocerán las innovaciones e iniciativas en esa área.
Plan Estratégico se centró en como las comunidades pueden contribuir al Plan Estratégico del ICOM 22-28.
The following were announced: the theme of the International Museum Day, next year 2025, The future of museums and the constant changes in communities and later those of 2026 United Museums in a divided world and 2027 Museums as a resource for innovation and change .
On the other hand, proposals for analysis were presented that were oriented towards the topics that will be the central themes for the coming years: Confidentiality and privacy of data, Diversity, Inclusion and accessibility, Intangible Cultural heritage, Restitution and Decolonization. The Objectives and Roles of Sustainability, the Human factor in the organization, Museums in conflict zones and the commercialization of collections.
Another aspect discussed at the event was that ICOM, together with ICOMOS; The International Federation of Library Institutions and Associations and the International Council on Archives are working on the Declaration for the Protection of Archives, Libraries and Museums and Heritage in Places of Armed Conflict and Political Instability.
The visit to the museums was another important aspect: Museum of the Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean, Fine Arts, Natural History, History of Marseille, Mediterranean Archaeology, La Villa Caridad which houses the collections of African, Amerindian and Oceanic Art and the Memorial of deportations of the city among others to see its buildings, collections, exhibitions, experiences, educational and community actions.
Importantly, sharing with associate members was the representative aspect. Knowing their thoughts, cultures, human qualities, points of view on the topics discussed and connections for future projects enriched the dialogue of this exceptional event.
Finally, very proud and grateful for having been selected by the Strategic Grant Review Committee (SAREC) and the executive authorities of ICOM to participate in person at the event and thus establish a more direct dialogue with colleagues.
Armando Gagliardi.
ICOM DIM2023 celebration, immersed in sustainability and well-being
Museos, sostenibilidad y bienestar fue el lema que acuñó durante el 2023 el Dia Internacional de los Museos, fecha decretada de esta manera desde 1977 por el Consejo Internacional de Museos, ICOM. Se celebra cada 18 de mayo.
Inmerso en este marco festivo, el ICOM de Venezuela preparó una programación que contempló una intensa semana del 15 al 20 de mayo y se extendieron del durante el año 2023. Las temáticas se estructuraron sobre cuatro vertientes: Accesibilidad, Inclusión, Diversidad y Ética. La Nueva Definición de Museos junto a estos aspectos motivo diversas reflexiones durante el año pasado: talleres, actividades académicas, visitas temáticas, promoción de videos, campaña informativa y aproximaciones, a través de, testimonios de profesionales de los museos y espacios patrimoniales venezolanos. Estos momentos se desarrollaron para sensibilizar al público, tanto de manera presencial como virtual, sobre los siguientes aspectos:
1. Abogar por los museos como agentes de cambio social positivo.
2. Fomentar relaciones más cercanas entre los museos y sus comunidades.
3. Promover el intercambio cultural como catalizador de la paz entre los pueblos.
4. Aplicar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de la ONU.
Lo inédito
Cabe destacar que, por primera vez, esta celebración en el país contempló a los parques zoológicos El Pinar y Caricuao, en sintonía con el precepto de la Unesco que reza que los jardines botánicos, parques zoológicos y acuarios se consideran museos con colecciones vivas. El ICOM de Venezuela contó con el apoyo de la Fundación de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios. Aproximarse a los animales, alimentar a las especies de granja y observar la interacción de los cuidadores con los felinos constituyó la experiencia enternecedora de la semana inicial de estas jornadas de reflexión, análisis y debate.
Visiones desde la gobernanza, dictada por Isabel De Jesús, miembro ICOM-Venezuela en la Facultad de Humanidades y Educación en la Escuela de Bibliotecología y Archivología (EBA) de la UCV.
In that sense, talks such as The sustainability of zoos in Venezuela and guided tours of these particular places significantly nourished the menu offered to the interested public. The important role that this type of heritage plays in environmental education and the preservation of species and their habitat was emphasized and highlighted, something that is fundamental in the multiple aspects of sustainability and well-being.
Forums and conferences.
Education as a seed of society began the festive day with the virtual forum Education in museums, keys to a better world by Gina Ojeda Valbuena and Nohe Gilson Reaño, an event that had the support of the Postgraduate Master's Program in Museology Francisco de Miranda National Experimental University in Coro, Falcón state.
The chain of actions continued in the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the School of Library Science and Archives (EBA) of the UCV, which opened its rooms to receive the Museums and SDG-2023 conference. Visions from governance, taught by Isabel De Jesús, ICOM-Venezuela member. This activity was produced by the International Committee for Marketing and Public Relations for Museums, coordinated in Venezuela by the journalist.
Henry Delfín, who is an ICOM member and professor at the EBA. Two days were held to celebrate DIM 2023 at the UCV and both were attended by Johan Rojas, secretary of ICOM-Venezuela.
Regarding International Museum Day itself, on May 18, 2023, the presentation Museums and SDG-2023 was presented at the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the School of Library Science and Archival Science (EBA) of the UCV. Heritage perspectives by Nélida Réquiz, member of ICOM-Venezuela. This activity was coordinated by the International Committee for Marketing and Public Relations for Museums.
The same day, Zaida García Valecillo, ICOM Venezuela member, offered the conference Museum, sustainability and climate change at the National Art Gallery. New scenarios for management.
Daniel Barraez, from the United Nations Development Programme, continued. (UNDP) with the theme of the Sustainable Development Goals. Culture and museums.
International Museum Day (IDM) at the National Art Gallery (GAN).
Mesa 1. SOSTENIBILIDAD.
Vinculación del nuevo concepto de Museo con los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) Agenda 2030-ONU. Una serie de preguntas generaron el debate con la finalidad orientar a los ponentes para el desarrollo de sus presentaciones: ¿Cómo se interpreta la sostenibilidad en el contexto de los museos? ¿Qué significa el museo sostenible? ¿El museo sostenible se compromete con la preservación del ambiente? ¿De qué manera se articulan los ODS con la gestión del museo? ¿Hasta qué punto están presentes los OSD en los planes de acción de los museos? ¿Conserva el patrimonio para las generaciones futuras, buscando conciencia y hábitos sostenibles?
Los museos y su aportación en la gestión sostenible fue el título de la mesa redonda celebrada el 19 de mayo del 2023, donde se abordó un proceso de reflexiones, experiencias, aprendizajes y su aplicación a las acciones de los museos para mejorar el bienestar social y la sostenibilidad.
Ponentes
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Antonio Rodríguez, ICOM Estados Unidos, presidente del Consejo Consultivo ICOM: El Plan Estratégico del ICOM y su vinculación con los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.
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María Gabriela Gil, ICOM México: El museo como agente de cambio, narrativas sustentables. Zaida García, ICOM Venezuela: ¿Por qué deben vincularse los museos con los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible?.
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Elide Sulbará, jubilado de Inparques: El patrimonio natural de Venezuela ¿Un museo Sonia García Hinojosa. Universidad Central de Venezuela. Edificaciones museísticas sostenibles.
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Yennai Quintero, gerente del Museo Sacro de Caracas. Museo como mediador en una sociedad sostenible.
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Moderador: Armando Gagliardi, presidente del Comité Venezolano del ICOM.
Mesa 2. BIENESTAR.
Los museos y su aportación a la accesibilidad y la inclusión social desde el respeto a la diversidad cultural, sexual, étnica, política, religiosa y espiritual para el fomento de la paz fue el título de la mesa redonda que remitió a la temática tratada en el DIM 2020.
Museos por la igualdad. Diversidad e inclusión fue un eje que se enfocó en mostrar a los museos como agentes de cambio e instituciones confiables para crear experiencias significativas en las personas de todos los orígenes, donde las instrucciones museísticas demuestren su relevancia al participar, constructivamente, en las complejidades de la diversidad de las realidades políticas, sociales y culturales de la sociedad postmoderna.
Nuevamente, y con mayor profundidad, el DIM 2023 abordó desde la noción de bienestar los principios de accesibilidad e inclusión social, a partir del respeto de la diversidad desde distintas aristas. Los especialistas invitados aportaron, mediante sus posturas, los distintos enfoques de la noción de bienestar en el contexto de los ODS-2030 y su vinculación con los museos, organizaciones culturales consideradas como agentes de cambio social positivo.
Las interrogantes que se plantearon para generar las reflexiones de las presentaciones fueron: ¿Cómo se interpreta los principios de accesibilidad e inclusión social en el contexto de los museos? ¿Cómo el nuevo concepto de museo promueve la accesibilidad e inclusión social? ¿La educación en los museos puede considerarse una estrategia para deberían tener acceso a una educación inclusiva y equitativa de calidad y a oportunidades de apren- dizaje para las comunidades?
Ponentes
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Oscar Navarro, profesor investigador de la Escuela de Sociología de la Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica: Museo, inclusión y Justicia Social desde la Museología Critica.
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Rodrigo Witker, profesor en el Instituto de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades Alfonso Vélez Pliego de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla: La inclusión, la No discriminación y el medio ambiente como discursos museográficos de desarrollo sostenible. Propuestas mexicanas pospandemia.
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Gelué Virla, miembro ICOM Venezuela: Inclusión y accesibilidad en los museos.
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Antonella Schettino, coordinadora operativa de la gerencia de las escuelas de El Sistema Nacional de Orquestas y Coros Juveniles de Venezuela y Pablo Duarte, comunicador social: Hacia museos inclusivos.
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Moderador: Armando Gagliardi, presidente ICOM Venezuela.
Mesa 3. MUSEOS Y DIVERSIDAD.
Desarrollada en agosto de 2023, destacó el papel fundamental de la educación patrimonial en los museos, cuya disciplina contemporánea le corresponde enfrentar los desafíos en el abordaje de temas sociales complejos y altamente polarizados como el reconocimiento a la diversidad cultural, sexual, étnica, política, religiosa entre otros. Frente a los valores de respeto y el reconocimiento, presentes en la Nueva Definición de Museo, señala un nuevo camino para fomentar la paz.
Las preguntas que accionaron las charlas fueron:
¿Cómo se interpreta el principio de diversidad en el contexto de los museos? ¿Cómo el nuevo concepto de museo promueve la diversidad? ¿La educación en los museos puede considerarse una estrategia para tener acceso a una educación
inclusiva y equitativa de calidad con oportunidades de aprendizaje para las comunidades?
Ponentes
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Isabel De Jesús, miembro ICOM-Venezuela y profesional Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural: Las colecciones prehispánicas y la diversidad cultural en los museos venezolanos.
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George Amaiz, coordinador Oficina Técnica de Enlace con la Unesco: De la Torre de Babel a la diversidad cultural: educación y ciudadanía".
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Gabriela Martínez, investigadora especialista de la Oficina Técnica de Enlace con la Unesco: Observatorio de Buenas Prácticas de la Diversidad Cultural: un espacio para la educación desde las diferencias.
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Moderadora: Nélida Requíz, miembro ICOM y profesional del Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural
Mesa 4. MUSEOS Y CÓDIGO DE ÉTICA.
Se realizó en octubre de 2023. La reflexión enfatizó el Código de Ética, que se basa en los valores de los profesionales de los museos y que sustentan el ejercicio del trabajo de quienes laboran en esos entes. Igualmente, se enfocó en el hecho de que el Consejo Internacional de Museos (ICOM) se encuentra en la revisión del Código de Deontología del ICOM para los Museos. También, se destacó su papel fundamental para profesionales que trabajan en los museos e instituciones patrimoniales afines.
La pregunta generadora de análisis en esta arista fue: ¿Cómo se interpreta el principio de ética y el valor que tiene el código de ética en el trabajo de profesional y las organizaciones?
Ponentes
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Víctor Guédez, presidente Consultoría en Ética y Responsabilidad Social Empresarial (Cerse): Ética y código de ética.
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Gabino Matos, asesor patrimonial de la Arquidiócesis de Caracas: De la ética y la moral.
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Moderador: Armando Gagliardi, presidente del Comité Venezolano del ICOM. Los invitados en las diferentes mesas de dialogos y los eventos hicieron de este acontecimiento, el más importante del año 2023, para la museologia venezolana.
Teresa Quilez.
Daniel Barraez economista del PNUD Unesco, Scarlet Silva miembro estudiantil ICOM, Nathiam Vega vicepresidente ICOM y Johan Rojas secretario ICOM.
Caracas, November 27, 2020.
ICOM-Venezuela on safety and professional ethics in museums
Last Wednesday, November 11, 2020, the Ministry of Popular Power for Culture (Mpppc) officially reported, through a press release, about the alleged theft of two works of art from the Collection of the National Museums Foundation (FMN ) guarded by the Museum of Contemporary Art of Caracas Armando Reverón (Maccar). This is an unfortunate event that has caused great impact and stir in the museum community, the cultural sector and the national public opinion, due to the fact that it is a disrespectful and irregular situation in which two FMN museum workers are involved.
What has happened deserves deep reflection. From the analysis of the events that have been added in recent years in the national territory, in which museums have suffered theft of equipment, materials and do not have adequate budgets and infrastructure, we are facing a serious problem: in the country there is no There are clear museum policies that promote strategies and actions to strengthen the basic principles of the work of the staff that allow the safeguarding of the important cultural and scientific heritage of the collections that are part of the national memory. Unfortunately, containers are systematically deteriorated, lacking adequate infrastructure and the necessary equipment to carry out their fundamental functions with dignity, as defined in the missions of each institution.
An urgent call
The Venezuelan State, through its governing bodies such as -the Ministry of Popular Power for Culture (Mpppc), the National Museums Foundation (FMN) and the Institute of Cultural Heritage (IPC) - must constantly ensure that museums can guarantee the protection, conservation, documentation and promotion of our tangible and intangible heritage assets. In this sense, we recall the binding aspects of co-responsibility that the national government has with museums and cultural heritage:
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As a principle, the first obligation of the State is to protect and promote the heritage of Venezuelans , as well as the human, physical and financial resources available for this purpose.
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It must guarantee the conditions of protection of the collections with protocols and adequate security systems , to protect the goods against any risk situation that could occur in the event of theft or theft.
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Allocate sufficient budgets and funds to carry out and promote museum activities ; in addition to allowing self-management as a way to generate economic resources for its sustainability and development.
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It is essential to hire personnel with the training and clear professional experience to assume responsibilities in any area of museum management. This action includes the directors, coordinators, heads of areas, departments and security of each institution.
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It is necessary to permanently update the training and improvement, to maintain the effectiveness of the professionals who work in the museum, with a view to reinforcing the ethical commitment that must always prevail in the teams that work in these spaces.
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It is a priority that real actions are taken to protect the collections of our museums that are an expression of the cultural and natural heritage of the communities from which they come and, therefore, not only go beyond the characteristics of mere property but also They can have very strong affinities with national, regional, local, ethnic, religious and social identities.
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It is imperative to act quickly and make the necessary efforts to ensure that the professional responsibility for the custody and security of the collections is entrusted to individuals with appropriate qualifications and knowledge . In a very sensitive area, such as museum security, tasks and actions must be properly supervised.
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The Mpppc and the IPC must lay the foundations for a global reconsideration of priorities and lines of action according to the diagnoses that each institution has . With this action, the recovery of the infrastructures, vaults and collection deposits with optimal conditions of air conditioning, protection, security and custody should be promoted.
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It is vital that museum workers have decent salaries, commensurate with the responsibilities they exercise in these important memory centers.
Unpossible to protect collections
We must remember that museums are holders of relevant and transcendental collections that need to be conserved for the benefit of society and its development. These must have special protection to contribute to the safeguarding of the natural, cultural and scientific heritage. The collections constitute an important public heritage and are in a special situation with respect to the laws, since they enjoy the protection of international law. The notion of good administration is inherent to this mission of public interest and includes the concepts of legitimate property, permanence, documentation, accessibility and responsible transfer.
Likewise, we must think about how each citizen can proactively support these institutions. Our museums need to be seen from the good practices that their professionals carry out. It is appropriate to look at them from the commitment of many workers who continue in these spaces and assume great apostolates in museum management. Without them, museums would hardly exist in the national geography.
Museological ethics
Members of the museum profession must respect the norms, established laws, and maintain the honor and dignity of their profession. In Venezuela there are approximately 2,800 museum workers who work with mysticism and dedication. In this sense, we recall some articles of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums , regarding what has happened to the heritage of museums.
Professional conduct
8.5 Illicit traffic. Members of the museum profession should never contribute directly or indirectly to the illicit traffic or trade in natural or cultural property.
8.6 Confidentiality. Members of the museum profession must protect confidential information obtained in the performance of their duties. Furthermore, information on objects brought to museums for identification is confidential and should not be published or communicated to any institution or person without the specific authorization of their owners.
8.7 Security of museums and collections. Museum personnel will observe the strictest confidentiality with regard to information relating to the security of museums or private collections and premises that they visit in the performance of their duties.
8.8 Exception to the obligation of confidentiality. Confidentiality is subordinate to the legal obligation to assist the police or other competent authorities to carry out investigations into property that may have been illegally stolen, acquired or transferred.
8.9 Personal independence. Although members of a profession are entitled to a certain personal independence, museum professionals must be aware that no private business or professional interest can be completely separated from the activities of the institutions to which they belong.
The call and the proposal
From what has happened in the Museum of Contemporary Art of Caracas and, recently in other museums in the country (Francisco Narváez Contemporary Art Museum, Maracay Mario Abreu Contemporary Art Museum, Zulia Museum of Contemporary Art (Maczul) Museum del Transporte, Museo del Oro and Museo Salvador Valero) we call on each worker to collaborate and become aware that we are all jointly responsible for the protection of heritage, which is part of our memory and identity, as established by the Law of Protection and Defense of the Cultural Heritage of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
From ICOM-Venezuela we propose tables for reflection and debate to exchange, listen to each other and generate realistic, concrete and effective proposals in which the multiple voices of the national and international museum community participate. This initiative is about having an impact on the design of true and inclusive national, regional and local policies and regulations that aim to improve good museum practices in the country.
Board of Directors
Venezuelan National Committee
International Council of Museums, ICOM
Caracas, Sunday May 24, 2020
DIM2020, a week of inclusion and digital reactivation
Dear partners, friends and visitors of our digital media:
On Monday May 18 we started our DIM2020 programming, an initiative of our committee that lasted until today. It has been a week full of pleasant impressions and full of interest from various citizens and sectors to know the actions carried out by ICOM-Venezuela.
These events have been possible thanks to each of the professionals who accepted the invitation, in this time of pandemic, to participate in this unprecedented programming devised by our national committee. We thank the new members of ICOM-Venezuela; to Venezuelan museum professionals, who work in the country in public museum institutions and private cultural entities; to the specialists who are abroad and to the academics and professors of the Master of Management and Cultural Policies of the Research Institute of Communications, Ininco-UCV. From the perspective of inclusion and diversity, they contributed their reflections on the theme proposed for this edition of the DIM.
We are very proud to have carried out, in these seven days, the launch of our website www.icom-venezuela.com , an information and communication platform that has had a positive acceptance and a lot of resonance, which translates into a representative number of national and international visits. Other important sections of the program, and which were part of the outstanding news of the week, were made up of the presentation of the MUSEOlógico informational-digital medium , the start of the call for new members ICOM-Venezuela 2020-2021, the activation of the Channel Official YouTube, the creation in Telegram of the ICOM-News-Venezuela News Channel and the announcement of the bases to participate in the Venezuelan Good Museological Practices Award 2020-2021.
Without a doubt, it was a consistent, extensive and nurturing celebration of International Museum Day. It is an achievement of our committee, which has been possible thanks to the effort of the Press and Communications Coordination of ICOM-Venezuela and the excellent team of designers who support us. We give these professionals public recognition for their commitment and dedication. We have achieved an active presence in the various digital media (newspapers and TV channels, among others). Publications of informative interviews were carried out, with a significant resonance in various sectors of public opinion; tasks that have allowed reactivating the communication of the essence, reason for being and meaning of the Venezuelan National Committee of ICOM. To make this possible, technology has been a great ally with its various social networks and tools, which have provided us with effective means to reach you and other latitudes.
We have seen how inclusion can be that effective tool to achieve approaches, always under the fundamental premise of expressing respect for the diversity of thoughts. ICOM-Venezuela aspires to be a forum for professionals in Venezuelan museology and museums in the country. We are a non-governmental organization that permanently seeks the inclusion of all those who believe in the museum as a democratic and social transformation institution.
We closed a week of activities with excellent results. Our expectations were exceeded and with this dynamism we give way to the celebration of 40 years of the foundation of ICOM-Venezuela. We are growing as an association. Soon, we will present the events that will be part of this important anniversary.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of ICOM-Venezuela, thank you very much for following, reading, socializing our content on social networks and recognizing the work that has been done, marked by commitment and responsibility.
Dr. Edgar Ernesto González
ICOM-Venezuela President
An atypical International Museum Day 2020
Today, May 18, 2020, we celebrate International Museum Day, DIM2020, which for this edition, number 42, presents the theme of Museums for equality: diversity and inclusion. Its main objective is to be a meeting point to celebrate diversity and reflect on the multiple perspectives that museum communities and staff have on this axis. Also, it has been proposed to promote tools and strategies to identify, overcome the prejudices and obstacles that often prevent museum institutions from addressing, in their multiple readings, other topics that allow establishing high impact programs and projects, in what their dynamic lines be diversity and equality. This idea, without a doubt, is linked in a special way with the exhibition, research and programming proposals.
During the last weeks we have glimpsed the challenges that the crisis of COVID-19 has generated in the cultural and museum sector. It is a bitter situation that has affected a large number of institutions on various continents. We have also felt this reality in our territory. It is a crisis that has highlighted other situations regarding planning, among which administrative and budgetary aspects stand out.
In the museums of Venezuela there have been no evidence of dismissals or confusing work situations as in other latitudes. This is not our case; However, the lack of resources and the absence of clear museum policies project and show that in addition to the problems accumulated over time, our containers of art and memory will have greater difficulties in their infrastructures, in addition to the fact that creating fair wage incentives will be a priority. , more real and consistent with the dynamics and training of professionals and workers. These are actions that will generate effective dynamics to capture those audiences who, in the midst of this quarantine, have physically disconnected from the museum. The idea is to visit them again after the confinement ends. Cultural authorities will have to quickly allocate emergency funds to guarantee the sustainability of museums, as many governments in Latin America and the international context have done.
As a result of the pandemic, museums and cultural industries have become in recent weeks the great catalysts for quarantine and social distancing. An interesting contribution they have made is to mobilize efforts and capacities to promote community resilience, through the most varied creative projects. Thus, it is a matter of making home confinement more bearable, with an eye always on the issue of social inclusion.
These educational mediation programs in times of pandemic have been developed from the interaction with novel strategies of significant learning and from the recognition of the collections. Reinterpretations of works arise, home performances that take shelter in the photographic image, online seminars, campaigns on social networks, visits and virtual tours of rooms and exhibitions by curators and directors. Overall, a more dynamic digital presence has been enhanced. They are activities that have integrated families, in their homes, into creative experiences. These practices have given the opportunity and the power to project, from the possibilities offered by technology, ingenious ways to communicate with the multiple communities and the variety of environments. They are new ways of inclusion practices.
During this scenario we have observed from the inclusion and diversity the transformations that museums experience. From these advances, at ICOM-Venezuela we think that the situation of COVID-19 quickly advanced the museum's vision of the future. That concept and space that has now entered, and with a lot of accent, the creative and artistic uses of technology. In Venezuela, although museums suffer great limitations in this regard, many have managed to materialize important programmatic contributions that guarantee presence and the possibility of sharing their initiatives as democratic and participatory spaces.
Museums, as democratizing agents, must stimulate social inclusion as a way to promote cultural exchange. It is one of the most precise actions to promote a culture of peace among peoples. The central objective of inclusion is, precisely, to comprehensively improve the living conditions of individuals and offer the same educational, cultural, employment and economic opportunities that the rest of society enjoys. Museums must be for everyone. They must be accessible, inclusive and diverse.
From ICOM-Venezuela we see how museum institutions are connecting to realities that in other times were difficult to conceive. We recognize the value of these memory spaces and we believe that the authorities of the Venezuelan State should publicly recognize that they are effective means of promoting strategies that address fundamental issues. We must rescue and reinvigorate the important role that the museum has in the future of our society. They are necessary and binding spaces of memory, extremely important for the design of inclusive policies. Without a doubt, governments must promote this valuable and important premise.
ICOM-Venezuela Board of Directors
Another collection suffers from fire: Deutsche Museum
ICOM-Venezuela solidarity
with German art and heritage
Although the museum's security systems were activated, more than 8,000 works suffered the effects of smoke, heat and flames
Caracas, October 15, 2018. Last September a tragedy struck the international museum community: a voracious fire consumed the National Museum of Brazil, based in Rio de Janeiro, and its collection, made up of more than 20 million pieces. , was devastated.
Recently, on October 10, 2018, another large fire occurred in a warehouse of the Deutsches Museum. This caused severe damage amounting to approximately ten million euros.
Munich is one of the largest technology museums in the world. It exhibited in its rooms 8 thousand pieces that the flames consumed for more than two hours. There were numerous objects and historical pieces that are part of the German scientific memory.
This renowned museum also had pieces from its collection, photos and objects as temporary custody. These were in the warehouse of the Deutsches Museum. Fortunately, the damage suffered by these collections was slight. In this case, the fire fighting system responded on time and the damage was not greater.
According to the museum spokesman, around 8 thousand pieces, objects, artifacts and scientific equipment were affected or destroyed by heat and smoke. The official stated the urgent need to carry out cleaning and restoration work, since the financial damage was of great impact; So much so that the building where the deposits are located was declared unusable until further notice.
The Venezuelan National Committee of the International Council of Museums, ICOM, stands in solidarity with colleagues from the Deutsches Museum and its director general, Dr. Wolfgang M. This is a dramatic new episode that invites us to reflect, once again, on the vital relevance protection systems against possible fires or situations that endanger the collections of works and pieces and the workers who guard them.
Board of Directors
ICOM-Venezuela