As the world increasingly grows digital and virtual, is it any wonder that many people are looking for something to hold on to in the shrinking analogue world? And where better to find that than in museums with their real, their authentic objects? The very objects we value so much that we have been collecting them for centuries? Museums thus have an exceptional quality that gives them credibility in an age of fake news and abundant opinions. It is not without reason that museums are growing and thriving worldwide.
While politics and much of the media seem to keep discussions especially on edge, and while science is increasingly being called into question, museums have a quality they can use to continue the dialogue between people. This essay argues not for unconditional activism of museums but for commitment from a pursuit of truthfulness. The truthful museum is the museum with scope for doubt and discussion. A place where efforts are made to bridge the increasing disparities in an ever so complex and ambivalent world.
Edition: O dubbel d, The Hague (2023)
Author: Arnoud Odding. EPUB edition