The museum as a modern instrument of knowledge
Based on the experience of an archaeologist and a management expert, a book that discusses culture and its expressions
Museum junk. If this was the model, or rather, the image that we had of museums and their contents until some time ago, today – fortunately – this same image has changed considerably. This is thanks to a cultural evolution that, by re-evaluating knowledge of the past as a tool we can use to live better in the present and think about the future with foresight, has also influenced museums (and archives) to make them into vehicles of knowledge available to all. Christian Greco and Paola Dubini (he is an Egyptologist and director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin, she is a professor of management at Bocconi University in Milan) reflect on these themes in a compelling book just under 150 pages long that reads like a journey through the fascinating museology of today.
The assumption on which the two authors base their reflections may seem obvious at first glance. Today, managing a museum no longer means simply showcasing a collection of objects, but rather leveraging our cultural heritage to convey messages that go beyond the museum halls. In other words, the museum has become a place of research and a bridge between the past and the future. Many cultural institutions and even numerous businesses now know very well that it is around museums (and their archives) that they have built truly cultural initiatives, not just communication strategies. Starting from the idea of the museum as a methodological archetype, the dialogue between Greco and Dubini leads to the political significance of using culture as a way to enhance the territory, generate opportunities for encounters between different cultures, promote collaborations between the public and private sectors, harness the power of art to activate new forms of diplomacy, and encourage the exchange between different disciplines to foster growth and attract talent.
These concepts are developed and explored in depth in a work enhanced by the experience of an enlightened museum director and a diligent expert in the management of numerous cultural institutions. The result is the emergence of a living instrument at the service of all, a tool that must be supported and cared for, valued and defended. The museum can have different forms or purposes but always retains its essence, that of being a unique tool for understanding the personal and professional journeys of individuals and the organisations they build. “La cultura è di tutti” is a must-read.
La cultura è di tutti
Christian Greco, Paola Dubini
Egea, 2024
Based on the experience of an archaeologist and a management expert, a book that discusses culture and its expressions
Museum junk. If this was the model, or rather, the image that we had of museums and their contents until some time ago, today – fortunately – this same image has changed considerably. This is thanks to a cultural evolution that, by re-evaluating knowledge of the past as a tool we can use to live better in the present and think about the future with foresight, has also influenced museums (and archives) to make them into vehicles of knowledge available to all. Christian Greco and Paola Dubini (he is an Egyptologist and director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin, she is a professor of management at Bocconi University in Milan) reflect on these themes in a compelling book just under 150 pages long that reads like a journey through the fascinating museology of today.
The assumption on which the two authors base their reflections may seem obvious at first glance. Today, managing a museum no longer means simply showcasing a collection of objects, but rather leveraging our cultural heritage to convey messages that go beyond the museum halls. In other words, the museum has become a place of research and a bridge between the past and the future. Many cultural institutions and even numerous businesses now know very well that it is around museums (and their archives) that they have built truly cultural initiatives, not just communication strategies. Starting from the idea of the museum as a methodological archetype, the dialogue between Greco and Dubini leads to the political significance of using culture as a way to enhance the territory, generate opportunities for encounters between different cultures, promote collaborations between the public and private sectors, harness the power of art to activate new forms of diplomacy, and encourage the exchange between different disciplines to foster growth and attract talent.
These concepts are developed and explored in depth in a work enhanced by the experience of an enlightened museum director and a diligent expert in the management of numerous cultural institutions. The result is the emergence of a living instrument at the service of all, a tool that must be supported and cared for, valued and defended. The museum can have different forms or purposes but always retains its essence, that of being a unique tool for understanding the personal and professional journeys of individuals and the organisations they build. “La cultura è di tutti” is a must-read.
La cultura è di tutti
Christian Greco, Paola Dubini
Egea, 2024