Press Release
An illustrated talk on ‘Trends in Museum: A Global Perspective’ was held at the new gallery in City Palace on 6 January. The talk was delivered by Chair AusHeritage and Board Member of the International Council of Museums, Mr. Vinod Daniel. The 30-minute talk covered various observations on national and international museums as well as some broader reflections.
Highlighting the 3 essential aspects for museum renewal, Mr. Daniel said that governance/ leadership, trained staff and funding must be the prime focus for Indian museums. It is important for museums to have a Director for a duration of 5 to 8 years rather than having a revolving door of institutional heads. In many museums, 90% of the staff are untrained and have no prior experience of handling museum equipment.
He further added that museums must constantly look at sustainability in order to succeed. Just putting artwork is not enough, the museum needs to be connected to the stories of the past of that particular place. Museums also need to explore new and unique ways of audience engagement and involvement. Some of the major challenges faced by museums are the large volumes of national collections lying in private hands. There is a need for strategies to be planned to assist in protecting these priceless collections.