By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin. Source: MOOK Editorial Department
What do museums mean to you? Aside from viewing paintings and artworks, museums may seem unrelated to daily life. Since 1977, the International Council of Museums has designated May 18th as "International Museum Day." This year marks the 35th anniversary, with over 100 countries across five continents—more than 30,000 museums—participating and organizing a variety of events. Examples include South Africa’s National Museum of Literature, Canada’s Bank of Canada Currency Museum in Ottawa, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in the United States, Brazil’s Museum of History and Culture, the Whanganui Regional Museum in New Zealand, Bulgaria’s Museum of Anthropology, and China’s Fujian Provincial Museum. In Brazil, the event coincides with the national “Museum Week” (May 14–20), during which museums across the country will host exhibitions, music and dance performances, film screenings, and more, helping the public understand that museums are not just places to display artifacts and artworks, but that their content is deeply connected to everyday life.
Germany’s Gutenberg Museum, which also participated this year, is a key repository of the history of modern printing. (Image provided by MOOK Editorial Department)
To help the public understand the role and significance of museums in society, the International Council of Museums not only designates May 18th as International Museum Day but also sets an annual theme. The 2012 theme is “Museums in a Changing World. New challenges, New inspirations,” focusing on how museums use their facilities and resources to address new issues such as climate change, emerging media, and social responsibility, and how they can adapt and grow in an ever-changing world. Museums from around the globe are participating this year, including Germany’s Gutenberg Museum, which houses ancient printing equipment; Russia’s Moscow Museum of Modern Art, located in an 18th-century merchant’s mansion; and Macao Museum, which focuses on postal and communication history.
The invention of Gutenberg’s printing press had a profound impact on European civilization. Located near the Cathedral Square market, the Gutenberg Museum showcases ancient printing devices, with its most important exhibit being the first edition of the “42-line Bible” printed by Gutenberg, named for its 42 lines per page and one of only 47 surviving copies in the world. Additionally, the museum traces the development of printing technology worldwide, including China’s woodblock printing, which predates Gutenberg by 800 years. Detailed exhibits also cover the printing history of Japan, India, Korea, and other regions.
The invention of printing enabled the rapid and profound advancement of human civilization. Or to put it another way, without printing, today’s internet age might not exist. (Image provided by MOOK Editorial Department)
Located in an 18th-century merchant’s mansion in Russia, the Museum of Modern Art houses a rich collection of 20th-century paintings, sculptures, and designs from both Russia and abroad. Here, visitors can admire outstanding works by early 20th-century Russian avant-garde artists such as Chagall, Kandinsky, and Malevich, as well as a section dedicated to the works of “nonconformist” artists from the 1950s and 60s who were not favored by the Soviet regime.
The works of these “nonconformist” artists are not only artifacts of their time but also provided a more diverse voice within society back then. (Image provided by MOOK Editorial Department)
Officially opened on March 1, 2006, with a total investment of 76 million Macanese patacas, the Macao Communications Museum introduces the development of postal and communication services in Macao through a wealth of valuable materials. Most of the facilities and exhibits in the museum are designed for hands-on visitor interaction, allowing guests to enjoy a participatory experience.
In the Communications Museum, which houses many vintage communication devices, even the brick-sized “Black Godzilla” mobile phone pays homage to its predecessors. (Image provided by MOOK Editorial Department)
● Extended Reading: Experience Taiwan’s Traditional Arts in a New Light at the Folk Arts Center Night Market
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