第五届亚洲美术馆馆长论坛各国馆长发言内容
Tubagus Sukmana图伯格斯·萨卡莫纳 印尼 国家美术馆馆长
发言提纲：Revitalization in Function and Management of Asian Art Museum——at the Era of Creative Economy
Art Museum in Asia for the last five years have been developed well, not only in terms of numbers, but also in their facilities, function and management. They emerge their own charcteristics and get attention from many stake holders in museum field, government, as well as private parties. The existence of art museums have a significant role and contribution for the effort of conservation, development, and utilization of artworks for various needs. In Indonesia there are 275 museums, 12 among them are art museum managed by government and private parties (individual or foundation). This 2010 is the Visit Museum Year with the tagline “Museum Di Hatiku” (Museum in My Heart). There has been many promotion as well as revitalization in order to make the performance of a museum more attractive to interest people to visit. Revitalization includes physical building, management of human resources, museum’s collection, community networking, policy, as well as marketing strategy. This is where the appropriate strategy and creativity of how to implement proper function and management that consistent with present days. Museum should become a projection for the age development, but still keeping public stability and productivity.
Nowadays, as of the view of futurist Alvin Tofler in Futurer Shock (1970), human civilization consists of three waves; agricultural age, industrial age, and information age. World tendency is now entering the middle of the fourth wave industry age, where the creative economic industry as a future industry puts creativity and innovation as the accelerated engine of economic growth. Therefore, artworks (fine arts), which include in the sub sector of creative industry, nowadays have been important asset and investment with high economic value. Private Galleries, Art Dealers, and Auction House as well as art collectors and lovers grow rapidly, so that artists are benefited in economy and popularity. However, this kind of condition could result in a bad impact if the measurement of works’ value and quality is only determined by market which is actually fluctuating and does not have a clear parameter. This is where museums show their role as a part of art infrastructures together with the role of curators and art critics, determine an objective parameter to asses the value and quality of an artwork. In this context also, function and characteristics of museum’s management in terms of acquisition and exhibition should really have the criteria by which judging the quality of works, visual aspect and talent or reputation of artists, so that exhibited as well as stored works in museums could become a barometer for public to determine or compare the artistic achievement and economic value.
On the other side, in facing rapid art development, various works in various medium, wider social networking, ease in artworks meeting among local as well as international artists, also urgent needs in exhibition rooms which are limited, the position of art museums should be flexible, exposing themselves for cooperation activity, either suggested by foreign cultural center, art institution, private galleries or art community, but still need to be accomodated with a tight selection, without lowering positive image and reputation, so that art museums with limited programs and budget can be supported by those cooperation activities. Museum’s activities keep on continuing over the year, while art lovers (museums’ visitors) get many chances and opportunities to appreciate selected works in various forms and mediums. The tendency of this kind of cooperation has been implemented in Indonesia National Gallery, or may also be implemented by art museums in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, etc.
Museums in present society however become a complex phenomenon, that is, museums as multifunction medium. Museums do not only become a place to store and display static collections, but also supported with public programs such as workshop, seminar, and performance, which are relevant to the mission of the museums. Permanent as well as temporary exihibtion room need to be organized with attractive order, accomodate informative and educative caption appropriate with curatorial concept also need to be completed with shopisticated technology equipment. Current museums should also take notice of various methods of communication and public relation for an appropriate information spreading and relevant with public needs. This is where museums’ management should talk about museums’ multifunction with visualization and interpretation methods which are scientific but also understandable and accountable.
Basically, revitalization in function and management of museums can be carried out as far as still refers to the Code of Ethics for Museums. Museums should keep on becoming the identity reflection of a nation and inspiration for society. Museums should reflect themselves as a place that describes center of preservation, research, mediation and art appreciation as well as education center in conserving people’s culture. Still, it is worth remembered that education or process of enculturation in museums can not be explained effectively without tight cooperation and coordination with other institution. In this implementation once again, integration of inter-desciplines, programs, and methods are absolutely needed. Museums could be a facilitator as well as catalyst for past and present works research in any fields, either local, national, regional, or global. Museums become source of information to give enlightment in awakening the identity of a nation that appreciates their works. This will be reflected in the characteristics of function and management of museums in each Asian country.
