News
I. Global Museum Directors Forum Held
IAMS President member the National Museum of China successfully held the Global Museum Directors Forum from April 11 to 12, 2019. Over 100 guests from 61 museums (institutions) from 24 countries and delegates of UNESCO attended the activity. Themed on “the Functions and Missions of National Museums Along the Silk Road”, attendees shared insights through in-depth discussions, signed the National Museums Consensus and important cooperation agreements. This Forum is well received by the public and the media.
The Forum opened on the afternoon of April 11, 2019 at the National Museum of China. Liu Yuzhu, Administrator of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, and Ms. Marielza Oliveira, UNESCO Representative to China, addressed the opening ceremony. Wang Chunfa, Director of the National Museum of China, gave a keynote speech entitled “Identifying Functions and Missions to Promote Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations”. Shan Wei, Deputy Director of the National Museum of China, presided over the opening ceremony. On the afternoon of April 11 and the whole day of April 12, representatives of museums from both home and abroad focused on the theme of Forum and shared insights through in-depth discussion in 5 seminars on "Collection and Exhibition Exchange of Museums Along the Silk Road", "Building Smart Museums", and "Diversity in Presentation of Exhibitions".
On April 12, Director Wang Chunfa gave concluding remarks at the closing ceremony. He stressed that in line with the principle of openness and cooperation for mutual benefit, the National Museum of China will continue to play its role as the IAMS Secretariat and actively strengthen interaction with museums of various countries for a bigger role of the museum in cultural inheritance and mutual learning among civilizations. These efforts would keep expanding its influence both at home and abroad and promote the comprehensive building of the “Belt and Road”. He hoped that members could make full use of IAMS as a platform to further cultivate and exchange professionals, boost cooperation in exploration, protection and research of cultural heritage, and strengthen dialogues among civilizations through joint exhibitions. IAMS encouraged cooperation in building smart museums by means of data sharing, data application and experience sharing. Hopefully, these efforts would result in deeper mutual understanding and contribute to a human community with a shared future.
On the afternoon of April 12, representatives signed the National Museums Consensus. They embraced the principles of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, and agreed to join hands to boost cooperation and exchanges among museums.
II. “Sharing a Common Future: Exhibition of Treasures from National Museums along the Silk Road” opened
“Sharing a Common Future: Exhibition of Treasures from National Museums along the Silk Road” jointly hosted by the National Museum of China and the national museums of 12 countries along the “Belt and Road” opened at the National Museum of China on April 11, 2019. A total of 234 pieces (sets) of historical objects were exhibited to demonstrate the colorful cultural exchanges among countries along the Silk Road. As an exhibition of cultural relics held in China with the largest number of participating countries, the most complete categories of exhibits and the most extensive influence by now, the exhibition won support from the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China. The event and was incorporated into the framework of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and well received by participating countries and the media.
Themed on “Sharing a Common Future”, the exhibition aimed at upholding the principles of “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit”, thus allowing people all over the world to share the lights of human civilization and walk to a bright future where countries respect others’ interests while pursuing their own and advance common interests of all.
The exhibition comprehensively showcased rich cultural deposits of various countries along the Silk Road, unveiling the historical process of the integration and co-existence of diversified cultures. Pointing to a better future for exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations along the Silk Road, this event shows that inter-museum cooperation goes beyond exchanges in thoughts, technologies and professional talents. The collaboration in itself creates the history of cultural exchanges.
Upcoming Events
1. The exhibition Life along the Silk Road: Little Stories during the Great Era is planned to open at China National Silk Museum on June 22, 2019. The Curator’s Forum: Collaboration on the Silk Road Exhibitions and Academic Conference of Committee of Museums along the Silk Road will be held during the exhibition.
2. The Second Conference of the International Alliance of Museums of the Silk Road plans to be held in Beijing, China in 2020.