6 Ways Museums Change The World
From sparking curiosity to challenging the status quo, this is why museums are essential for our culture.
Museums have been a part of human history since ancient times. From simple cabinets of curiosities housed inside homes to the iconic cultural institutions we have today, there is so much that they can teach us about ourselves and the world around us. At MagnificentH, we believe museums are much more than just buildings that hold objects of interest. They are powerful tools that can help change the world for the better.
In fact, we believe they already have. Here are six ways they’ve done it:
1. They help us preserve culture
From the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum to the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian, museums have kept our most important cultural pieces safe since the dawn of time.
Did you know: The Mesopotamian princess Ennigaldi-Nanna was the curator of the world’s first museum. In 530 BC, she understood the importance of preserving culture and arranged artefacts from different locations and time periods together with descriptions etched onto stone tablets.
2. They share knowledge
Before modern museums were invented, members of high society would showcase collections of art and curiosities in their homes to family and friends. It was only when these collections became public that previously private knowledge was available to the wider public. Today, many museums are free to enter, so that art and culture can be celebrated by everyone.
Did you know: The Ashmolean Museum in England opened in 1683 and was the world’s first modern public museum.
3. They educate us on the past
As humans, we have an endless appetite for learning about the past, and the recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo proves that. It cost over $1 billion to create, but investors were sure that the worldwide demand to see ancient Egyptian artefacts would still be strong, and they were correct.
Did you know: The Grand Egyptian Museum is now the world’s largest archaeological museum.
4. They challenge the status quo
From the Sexmuseum in Amsterdam to the Museum of Death in Los Angeles, museums are often vessels for telling the most controversial stories. Throughout time, they have been a place where conventions can be questioned.
Did you know: The Museum of Innocence in Istanbul challenges what a museum can be. It contains artefacts from fictional characters of a novel of the same name, by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk.
5. They spark curiosity
From your first trip to see dinosaur bones as a child to the latest exhibition on your ‘must-see’ list, there is no place quite like a museum to feed the imagination. The desire for exploration is becoming dulled in a world where answers are immediately available online, but museums allow you to get lost in worlds gone by and consider things from a different point of view.
Did you know: The Louvre is the most popular museum in the world, with over 8 million visitors a year.
They provoke conversation and collaboration
Traditionally, museums were seen as quiet places where you observe in silence, but today the best cultural institutions combine interactive cultural experiences with open conversation, allowing multiple perspectives on a single subject. Who gets to decide who can be a museum curator and who cannot?
Did you know: At MagnificentH, you can create your very own micro-museum in a few clicks and share your unique perspective on culture with our like-minded community.
