Remodeling RI museums for consumer tastes<\/p>\n
By Amir Sidharta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Despite the economic crisis, the country is
\nstill in a consumerist age. In less than 10 years, dozens of
\nshopping malls have sprouted up here and in other urban centers.<\/p>\n
Increasing per capita income has created an atmosphere
\nconducive for the general public, especially those living in
\nurban areas, to spend their money more liberally.<\/p>\n
Malls have become the favored places for urbanites to shop,
\nwhile away their leisure time and spend disposable income on
\nweekends and holidays.<\/p>\n
Of course, museums could also serve the same function as an
\nattractive recreation site to unwind.<\/p>\n
Before that can happen, there are issues related to museum
\nmanagement that need to be altered in a more positive direction.<\/p>\n
Public expectations of museums need to be studied further. But
\nas the most appropriate target market is urban residents with
\nrecreational time, museum development could be done in a leisure
\nindustry approach, like that used for management of malls.<\/p>\n
Museums should be able to compete with malls as an attractive
\nrecreation site. The first concept that can be introduced is
\n\"mall-ing\", or the management of museums as malls.<\/p>\n
In a consumerist era, the attention of prospective consumers
\nis directed toward products. The leisure industry also features
\nproducts: food, beverages, performances and entertainment.<\/p>\n
To guarantee the continuity of educational events, local
\nmuseums also need to be managed in this industrial approach, with
\nexhibitions as the main product. As a mall, museums should
\nfeature exhibitions at center stage to ensure the institution
\nremains focused on education.<\/p>\n
Currently, the public perception of museums is in accord with
\nits definition as \"a place to store historical objects, etc.\" in
\nW.J.S. Poerwadarminta's Indonesian dictionary.<\/p>\n
In the eyes of the public, museums are merely a repository of
\nancient, historical and cultural artifacts.<\/p>\n
The view is also held by many museum managers. Local museums
\nare filled with lots of artifacts but these are often arranged
\nhaphazardly.<\/p>\n
This is inappropriate for the institutions' function at the
\npresent and in the future. A new definition should be \"a place to
\nstore and exhibit artifacts of history, culture and science for
\nthe purposes of education\".<\/p>\n
This would stress that museums have a main product manifested
\nin an exhibition. Museums should be seen as an industry which has
\na loose relationship to the concepts of cultural or educational
\nindustries.<\/p>\n
As such, museums are no longer merely storage sites, but must
\nbe equipped with supporting divisions for curatorial matters,
\ncollection management, information and education, design and
\nproduction, and promotion and marketing.<\/p>\n
Any exhibition starts with research by the curator. He or she
\nhas support of the collection manager, exhibition designers and
\nproducers. Promotion and marketing officers get word out to the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
Visitors obtain information and learn more about the show from
\neducation and information officers, who are also responsible for
\ngathering feedback from the public so the exhibition can become
\nmore communicative.<\/p>\n
Museums as malls<\/p>\n
When museums, as educational institutions, can present their
\nexhibition as a main product, management can be undertaken using
\nan approach similar to that for shopping malls.<\/p>\n
Each museum can be developed like a small mall. Activities of
\nlearning history, culture, and science in a museum use a lot of
\nenergy; museums will need to be equipped with supporting
\nfacilities such as food and beverage outlets, and gift and
\nsouvenir shops. These are needed by today's public. If museums
\nare equipped with facilities that support visitation, the public
\nwill be more interested in spending their leisure time in them.<\/p>\n
The mall approach can also be used to develop networks of
\nmuseums. Like a shopping mall, where several outlets are placed
\ntogether under one roof, the museum mall groups together several
\nmuseums in one large complex for \"the mall-ing of museums\".<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, one good example is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. In
\naddition to their several wonderful museums, the Taman Mini
\ncomplex is equipped with shops and restaurants.<\/p>\n
Benefits to museums are twofold. As a \"tenant\" of a \"mall\",
\nthe museums become a complementary attraction for visitors.<\/p>\n
But they also benefit from unplanned visitation from those
\nwhose main intention is a look around the larger Taman Mini
\n\"mall\".<\/p>\n
Mall-ing can also be applied to museums in a general location.
\nIn Jakarta, the groupings would be: the History Museum, Fine Arts
\nMuseum and Wayang Museum which face Taman Fatahillah; the outlook
\ntower, Pasar Ikan and Museum Bahari, around the Sunda Kelapa
\nport; and the National Museum, National Monument, State Palace
\nand National Gallery, which face Medan Merdeka.<\/p>\n
Each museum should not be considered separate from the others,
\nbut an integral part of the group, other institutions of history,
\nculture, science and technology, and open natural spaces.<\/p>\n
In an integrated district, the accessibility of museums can be
\neasily enhanced. Museums must be reachable by private and public
\ntransportation, including pedestrian accessibility and railway
\nfacilities. Signage that will make accessibility easier should be
\ninstalled on roads. Of course, adequate parking space is also
\nessential.<\/p>\n
Museums with a common theme but geographically distant from
\neach other, such as those related to finance and banking, or fine
\narts galleries, can apply the concept of malling for their
\ninstitutions by forming consortiums. They can form networks in
\nwhich curators, collection managers and conservators can
\ncooperate to create joint exhibitions which tackle a subject
\ncomprehensively, featuring the best objects of each collection.<\/p>\n
Until now, collections of most museums in the city are
\nmediocre, which means poor exhibits. But a show prepared by a
\nconsortium of museums could feature the \"cream of the crop\". The
\nformation of consortiums is also beneficial because human
\nresources are still limited.<\/p>\n
Malling would make all the museums more accessible for
\nvisitors. It would also mean more efficient promotion and
\nmarketing; museums could conduct mutually beneficial joint
\npromotions. Promotional costs can be absorbed collectively, and
\nthe Internet would be an important link.<\/p>\n
Museum development can borrow from the development models for
\ninstitutions which have achieved significant commercial success,
\nsuch as shopping malls. Of course, the commercial approach should
\nbe considered as a means, and not the end for the museum. It is
\nimportant to remember that museums are not-for-profit
\ninstitutions that should focus on their educational mission.<\/p>\n
Exactly what role museums can play in the life of Indonesian
\ncommunities requires further study. For the future, it is vital
\nthat museum administrators have a vision that fits the needs of
\ntheir constituents. Museums should take a more active role in
\ncommunity life, and at the same time offer the public more
\nopportunities to play a part in their activities.<\/p>\n
The writer is museum curator at Pelita Harapan University,
\nTangerang.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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