THE CHALLENGING MUSEUM / CHALLENGING THE MUSEUM

The ICOM International Committee for Museums of Ethnography has just announced a call for paper proposals for presentation during the ICME sessions in Shanghai this November. Here is the text of the call for papers:

The theme statement for ICOM's General Conference in Shanghai 7-12 Nov. 2010 invites examinations of how museums can contribute to processes that are important for the development of societies. In line with this, ICME/2010/Shanghai invites papers addressing

THE CHALLENGING MUSEUM / CHALLENGING THE MUSEUM

ICME invites discussions of approaches and experiences of how museums of cultures and societies address themes that are perceived as difficult, controversial, raising dilemmas, exploring delicate balances, like between the political/moral/publicity/professional/ethical/etc. considerations.

We are not looking for the unanimously successful stories, the easy ways. We'd rather debate cases with no clear conclusion, where our doubts and reflections are welcomed, but simple self-praise is not.

The topic will be followed up in the years after the ICME/2010 meeting through an ICME Work Group chaired by Per B. Rekdal.

Expressions of interest may be sent to ICME Chair Annette Fromm (president@icme.icom.museum and annettefromm@hotmail.com) and Per B. Rekdal (p.b.rekdal@khm.uio.no). Please mail us both since different spam filters have different and too often unfathomable prejudices.

ICME (the International Committee for Museums of Ethnography) is an international committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) devoted to ethnography (ethnology, anthropology, folk) museums focusing on local, national and international cultures. ICME is concerned with the challenges facing ethnographic museums and collections in a changing world. Details of the ICME conference will be forthcoming on the ICME web site http://icme.icom.museum

ICOM General Conference information is available on
http://icom.museum/general-conference2010.html