An
ecomuseum is an organic social entity arising from a community agreement for the
development of the community and local areas.
The term ecomuseum
was first brought to notice in 1971 at the IX Conference for the International
Council of Museums (ICOM) in Grenoble and Paris, by the French Environment
Minister, Poujalde, for the museums that were being developed in the National
Park in France during the sixties and seventies
The
arrival of the first community ecomuseum in 1973, the Urban Community of
Creusot - Montceau-les-Mines, separated the ecomuseum from environmentalism and
the Scandinavian Open Air Museums, and moved it towards a self-managed community
initiative.
Although
the ecomuseum is a French phenomenon, its philosophy and methodology has influenced
other countries (Canada, Portugal, Brazil, etc.). These countries have used the
idea of ecomuseum for the democratic development of economically deprived areas
and communities with social problems or those which have particular
socio-cultural needs. At the same time, the concern for the recovery of
community identity through heritage awareness and its use for its own
development wasn’t exclusively francophone; American neighbourhood museums and
Mexican community museums would also help to change the concept of the museum,
which is, essentially, to be useful according to the needs of the community
In the
mid-seventies we found ourselves in a situation where circumstances called for
a transformation of the traditional museum. Ecomuseum, Neighbourhood Museum,
Community Museum, or the Integral Museum in the Round Table of Santiago de
Chile (recently approved by ICOM-UNESCO, 1972). A rich panorama, with a similar
philosophy, but difficult to differentiate from other types of museum; In
addition, more traditional museology gradually started to aim its social
functions towards different audiences (e.g. tourists) by improving its
programmes, activities and media communication.
However,
numerous authors (Duclos, 1991, Boylan, 1992; Hamrin and Haulander, 1995;
Davis, 1999; Corsane, 2006; Mayrand, 2010, etc.) have theorized on the
indicators (features) of an ecomuseum. Based on them, The following is a list
of the minimum requirements of an ecomuseum.
- A community. It is the essential part of the Ecomuseum. It is the subject as well as the object of the ecomuseum.
- Recognition of a fragmented territory not strictly limited by administrative boundaries.
- An Integral Heritage (Natural and Cultural: tangible and intangible). Heritage is a territorial area in which a community has historically exercised its relationship with the environment. A museologist’s work is to detect the marking of its territory and the essential elements that make up the cultural identity of its population.
- Social action as an altruistic act. The ecomuseum is an initiative of the community. A community that is aware of and committed to social transformation for its future development.
- Development. The ecomuseum is a formula for social, cultural and economic development of a given environment. The ecomuseum should aim to be an analysis of a particular community’s structure, issues and alternatives. The needs and future evolution of its people and the surrounding area
- The ecomuseum does not seek, therefore, an institutional technical efficiency but the development of the Community critical awareness. The ecomuseum is a privileged instrument of community development, which does not refer in the first instance to knowledge and enhancement of heritage; it is intended to constitute a mere auxiliary of an educational, informative or cultural progress system and democratizing access to culture. The ecomuseum is a way of releasing (pedagogy of liberation) the initiative and the community actions with common objectives.
This last
point has meant that ecomuseums live out of a utopia which, far from being
impossible, aims to keep a community alive. This has meant that, for many
authors, even its creator Hugues de Varine-Bohan, that the word
ecomuseum is not that relevant. The important fact is the integral and
sustainable development of the community through awareness and critical
reflection of its past and present.
The
ecomuseum is a process. The entire population should be involved in it. The
community should be involved in every action, from inventory, pretextual-actions
(exhibitions, etc.), to research, management and funding must have community
representation and decisions should be made democratically. This is how
self-management and social transformation will be achieved.
Óscar Navajas Corral
PhD. History and Museology
Translation by Louisa Adcock and María Gómez Bedoya
This paper was published in Spanish in:
Navajas Corral, O. (2013): Características de
los Ecomuseos; en VV. AA (2013): Parque Criollo
y Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes, Plan de exhibición, Buenos Aires: Exhibir
· Comunicación y Conservación del Patrimonio. p: 33.
