5Th Asian National Museums Association Meeting and Conference
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5TH ASIAN NATIONAL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION MEETING AND CONFERENCE 25—27 November 2015, Singapore i Foreword ii Editor’s Note iii List of Countries that are represented in ANMA and their representative institutions as of 2015 v Programme for the 5th ANMA Meeting and Conference, 25—27 November 2015, Singapore COUNTRY REPORTS AboUT anma Editors: Thangamma Karthigesu and Kathleen Ditzig 10 Design: Studio Vanessa Ban CAMBODIA: naTional MUSEUM OF cambodia The Asian National Museums Association (ANMA) ANMA Organising Committee: Pei Jun Chia, Balancing Political History, Ethnography, and Art: The Role of a National Museum. The Case of the National Museum of Cambodia was established as a network to promote exchange Kathleen Ditzig, David Alan Henkel, By Mr. Kong Vireak, Director, National Museum of Cambodia and co-operation among national museums in Asia. Vaisshnavi Jayasambok 16 Initiated by the National Museum of China, Tokyo Printer: Allegro Print CHina: NATional MUseUM of CHina National Museum and the National Museum Distribution: Distributed by the National Heritage A Speech on Balancing Political History, Ethnography and Art: The Role of a National Museum of Korea in 2007, its membership covers major Board, Singapore By Mr. Huang Zhen Chun, Deputy Director, National Museum of China national museums in Asia or their agencies. 20 Published on November 2015 by National Heritage INDIA: NATIONAL MUSEUM NEW DELHI AboUT THE ANMA LOGO Board, 61 Stamford Road #03-01, Stamford Court Shifting Priorities of a National Museum: The Journey of National Museum New Delhi Singapore 178892 By Ms. Joyoti Roy, Outreach Consultant & Dr. R.K Tewari, Deputy Curator, Numismatics, National Museum New Delhi The predominant feature of the ANMA logo is a 30 lattice pattern, which has modern and traditional © 2015 Indonesia: THE naTional MUseUM of indonesia connotations. A traditional design in most Asian The National Heritage Board/ Balancing Political History, Ethnography, and Art: The role of The National Museum. Implementation at Museum Nasional Indonesia cultures linked to weaving traditions and window Authors all rights reserved. By Mrs. Intan Mardiana, Director, Museum Nasional Indonesia frames, the lattice pattern also represents the 34 multi-dimensional and networked connections that The National Heritage Board shall not be Japan: ToKYO NATional MUseUM underline the knowledge exchange that define the held liable for any damages, disputes, loss, The Roles of National Museums in Japanese Society work of the Asian National Museums Association. injury or inconvenience arising in connection By Mr Masami Zeniya, Executive Director, Tokyo National Museum As a grid, it defines the coordinated work of the with the contents of this publication. 40 association which aspires to lay the foundation KoRea: NATional MUSEUM OF KoRea for the growing international influence of Asian No part of this publication may be reproduced, Balancing Research on Ancient Korean Cultures National Museums regionally and globally. stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any By Dr. Kim Youngna, Director, National Museum of Korea form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, 46 NOTes photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the Lao: Lao NATional MUseUM prior permission of the publisher. For all copyright Lao National Museum: Balancing Political History, Ethnography and Art: The Role of a National Museum This e-publication is a second consolidated and matters please contact the National Heritage Board. By Mrs. Phetmalayvanh Keobounma, General Director, Lao National Museum updated edition of the print publication that 52 accompanied the fifth meeting and conference ISBN 978-981-09-7632-3 MALAYsia: DepaRTmenT of MUseUms MALAYsia of the Asian National Museums Association Balancing Political History, Ethnography and Art: The Role of a National Museum in Malaysia that was held in Singapore from the 25th to 27th By Mr. Mohd Azmi Bin Mohd Yusof, Deputy Director-General (Museology), Department of Museums Malaysia, November at the Asian Civilisations Museum. Ms. Miti Fateema Sherzeella Mohd Yusoff, Curator, Department of Museums Malaysia, and Ms. Noraini Binti Basri, Senior Curator, Department of Museums Malaysia The positions and affiliations of the authors of 60 the papers are as of November 2015. As such, the Nepal: NATional MUseUM of Nepal views and positions expressed in this publication Balancing Political History, Ethnography and Art: The Role of a National Museum are those of the authors only and not those By Ms. Mandakini Shrestha, Director, National Museum of Nepal, Chhauni, Kathmandu of the organisers, publisher or editors. 68 SinGapoRE: Asian CIVilisaTions MUseUM A New Chapter: The Redevelopment Of The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) By Mr. John Teo, Deputy Director, Curatorial, Collections and Exhibitions, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore 74 SRI lanKA: COLOMBO naTional MUseUM Balancing Political History, Ethnography, and Art: The Role of a National Museum – Sri Lanka By Mrs. Sanuja Kasthuriarachchi, Director, Department of National Museums, Sri Lanka 78 THailand: THE Office of NATional MUseUms, THailand The Challenge of Running Ethnology Museums versus Art and History Museums in Thailand By Dr. Amara Srisuchat, Senior Expert in Art and Antiquity, The Office of National Museums, Thailand A Division of: Supported by: 86 VieTnam: VieTnam naTIONAL MUseUM of HisTORY Role of The Vietnam National Museum of History: On Balancing Political History, Ethnography And Art By Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong, Director, The Vietnam National Museum of History 90 Notes FOREWORD EDITOR’S NOTE Dr. Alan Chong Ms. Thangamma Karthigesu Chairman of the Asian National Museums Association, 2013–2015 Director of Culture Academy, Singapore Director of Asian Civilisations Museum THE MULTiple Roles of naTional MUseUms It was a privilege for us to work together minimal copyediting. As we wanted to highlight with the authors on their papers. It was indeed the authenticity and true voice of the authors, an enriching experience for all of us and we hope the editorial team took the utmost care in The theme for this year’s meeting and tice. Many of our institutions have creatively that this publication will enrich its readers just editing the texts to ensure that no compromise conference of the Asian National Museums As- mixed these categories to fashion a rich and var- as it has benefited our perspectives of national or change in meaning of the commentary oc- sociation (ANMA) is Balancing Political History, ied narrative. Rather than craft a single national museums in Asia. curred. Every effort was also made to ensure that Ethnography, and Art: The Role of a National Muse- narrative, many of our members have empha- the information contained in this publication is um. This publication contains papers presented sized diversity and multiplicity. If identity itself The theme of the conference, Balancing accurate at the time of publication. As such, the at the meeting in Singapore on 26 November is fluid, museums may need to respond nimbly Political History, Ethnography and Art: The Role of a views and positions expressed in this publication 2015. These papers are country reports that re- to changes in society. National Museum, is the foundation of this publi- are those of the authors only and not those of flect on the various cultural roles played by the cation and the prompt placed to our contribu- the organisers, publisher or editors. national museums that form ANMA. This 5th meeting of ANMA is an oppor- tors who work within different political contexts tunity to share our practices and challenges on and with the complexity of intermingled and The included contributions are limited Museums can preserve the collective this theme, as well as on a wide array of con- evolving histories. It can be difficult to provide a to members of the Asian National Museum memory of a nation and carve a place in glob- cerns. It is a great pleasure to welcome delegates balanced and inclusive representation of such his- Association (ANMA) who provided their contri- al history for the peoples and communities of to Singapore at a time when many of our mu- tories, especially given the diverse local, regional butions before the conference. A more complete those states. At the same time, national muse- seums have new galleries or indeed entire new and international communities that may have a publication will be made available online at ums often need to consider cultures that cross buildings to unveil. stake in such histories and cultures. As such, the www.cultureacademy.sg at a later date. national borders, and sometimes form networks different insights from our contributors provide over considerable distances. These themes are For their support of this conference, we a sense of how Asian national museums navigate It has been a privilege for the Culture more challenging to present simply because of thank all the ANMA members, in particular such complex socio-political terrain to present Academy to work on this publication. We hope their hybrid nature, and because, to many visi- the National Museum of Japan and the Na- an unbiased story as much as possible within that it gives you a new perspective on Asia’s na- tors, they do not represent the “core culture” of tional Museum of Korea. I am grateful for the these constraints. tional museums, and that this publication will a perceived national identity. Equally challeng- support of the Culture Academy Singapore, the open new doors for ANMA members to show- ing is the balance of materials