MUSEOLOGY : BACK TO THE BASICS
MUSEALIZATION
LYNN MARANDA, CURATOR EMERITA VANCOUVER
MUSEUM – CANADA(ICOFOM STUDY SERIES – ISS ) ARTICLE REVIEW
BY :
WHAT IS MUSEALIZATION ?
• The Term “ Musealization’ was used in 1970’s among members of ICOM. Credit was given to
Czech Museologist Zbyslav Stransky
• It refers to a process of extracting a real thing from its original, natural or cultural environment
and conferring on it a new character as “Museum Object”{ Mairesse} or giving it museal status.
• Etymologically , we can say Musealization refers to collecting, preserving , displaying and other
functions that take place in museum to object which will be acquired by museum .
• MUSEALIZATION >>>
Event
Process
Motivation
WHAT WILL HAPPEN BEFORE MUSEALIZING ANY
OBJECT?
• The object is musealized with separation and suspension of object from its in-situ
circumstances to be transplanted to become iconic source of knowledge.
• However, each object separated will not be subjected to musealization and each object
musealized will not be given museal status.
• Object will be processed through musealization activity only after analyzing objects
intrinsic value, it significance.
MUSEALIZATION : PROCESS
• With decision that object will be musealized, certain steps are taken to make object
musealized.
• These steps include: Acquisition > Accessioning> Preservation and Conservation >
Research and Cataloguing.
• This process of musealization has no firm beginning and end , it is continuum process
which occurs as long as object occurs.
• Musealization process has broad spectrum.
WHY WE MUSEALIZE OBJECT?
• As its human scientific inquiry where objects are musealized to transform objects into
knowledge base.
• The Musealization process is more than hoarding objects, it secures intellectual value ,
emotional value as well as knowledge value of object.
• Object once Musealized gain new quality known as “Museality” , these objects become
documents as carriers of individual nor collective memory or tradition .