Transcultural Perspectives 4/2020 - 1 !aria S-ymańska-Ilnata The Asia and Paci c Museum in Warsa$: Ne$ Be*inning and 9hallenges Introduction drze. #a$rzynia'& /orn in 1931 in #arsa$% he *radu- The purpose of this text is to briefly present the his- ated fro" the 1un*a 2ailing 2chool, 3dańsk% and in tory of the Asia and Pacific !useum in #arsa$% its 1948, still as a student% be*an sailing the seas, on the "ission and the assumptions behind its permanent 6ar Po"orza ship& After several voya*es and co"- exhibition $hich is no$ in develop"ent& The Asia and pleting further education, in 1950 he beca"e an of- Pacific !useum is the only "useum of its 'ind in Po- cer of the Polish !erchant Navy and "ade a land& It holds a collection of around 23,000 artefacts *ruelling voya*e through the tropics to China& fro" different countries of Asia and the Pacific Is- #a$rzynia' $ould often recall this .ourney as the lands, $hich $as "oved fro" one place to another turning point in his life& It $as at this time that he de- several times, as the "useum dealt $ith housin* veloped an interest in Asia& Later, he studied at the proble"s. The political and social situation in Poland 6iplo"atic-Consular ,aculty of the Central 2chool of had a big influence on the position occupied by the ,oreign Affairs in #arsa$ and% follo$ing his *radu- "useum in the cultural landscape of #arsa$ and Po- ation, started to wor' in diplo"acy ( *. 1)& land in the past& It has never been an institution of primary i"portance% nor has it attracted popular in- terest% but it has always had a loyal audience $hich has "otivated the "useum’s e"ployees, and formed an active *roup of real lovers of the culture% traditions and herita*e of Asia and the Pacific& The situation of the "useum as an institution has changed si*nificantly during recent years, as the housing proble" $as nally resolved& This $ill be dis- cussed in the second part of the article% $hich is de- voted to the present circumstances of the "useum& The nal part of the article presents plans $hich are no$ being realised& ,or the rst time in its history, the "useum is preparing to open a permanent exhibition, $hich $as always the drea" of the e"ployees. Plans for this display have been in preparation for "any years by t$o *enerations of curators. They have changed "any times in response to ne$ tendencies in "useolo*y, ne$ visions developed by younger cur- ators, and the develop"ent of kno$led*e and the col- lection. The article $ill reveal our present point of vie$ and concept% explaining its political, historical and so- ,i*& 1 Andr-ej #awr-yniak in 1akarta; 10>1= ?isual Archive of cial context& the Asia and Paci c !useu"& The history of the Asia and Paci c !useu" /et$een 1961 and 1971 he $as posted in Indone- The Asia and Pacific !useum *re$ out of the private sia% $here he developed a fascination $ith Indonesian collection of Indonesian arts and crafts created by An- culture and crafts $hich proved crucial for the "u- Maria 2-y"ańska-Ilnata The Asia and Paci c Museu" in #arsa$ 'unsttexte&de 4/2020 - 2 seum&1 At the be*inning he started to collect da**ers, $ith Andrze. #a$rzynia' appointed as director. The "asks and textiles. Later, his passion extended to institution $as *iven t$o to$nhouses dating fro" other artefacts. Eventually, his Indonesian collection 1854 that reGuired co"prehensive renovation to be- reached over 3000 ite"s. It $as brou*ht to Poland co"e proper office and stora*e space ( *. 3)&( thanks to the 'ind assistance of #a$rzynia'’s former In the meantime the collection was stored in differ- collea*ues, Polish captains $ho transported the pre- ent places in #arsa$ or sho$n to the public at te"- cious cargo on board their ships. porary exhibitions in other "useums. In 1976 the !u- Andrze. #a$rzynia' prepared the rst exhibition seum changed its na"e to the Asia and Pacific !u- of his collection in 1966 in cooperation $ith the Cra- seum% as it started to broaden its collection to include co$ Ethno*raphic !useum& It $as entitled Art of the artefacts fro" other Asian countries, despite of the 2outh Seas and was presented in t$o instalments ( *& lac' of exhibition space and proper stora*e roo"s. 2)& Afterwards, the collection $as exhibited in a ,i*& ( The old buildin* on 2olec 2treet= ca. 1000= ?isual Archive of the Asia and Paci c !useu"& Fi*& 2 The Art of the 2outh 2eas exhibition= 10>>= ?isual The situation changed slightly in 1977, $hen the Archive of the Asia and Paci c !useu"& 3allery of Nusantara $as allocated 100 "2 of base- "ent space in a residential building on 8o$o*rod-'a number of Polish to$ns and cities. At that time 2treet& The rst exhibition in the ne$ location $as #a$ryznia' $as still $orkin* abroad as a diplo"at in dedicated to the donors to the !useum& The 3allery different countries. After he ca"e bac' to Poland in of Nusantara was in operation until 2007 ( *. 4)&4 1971, he realised ho$ difficult it $as to 'eep such a big collection in *ood conditions. Hi*h costs of pro- fessional conservation, preventing da"a*e due to the change of climate% proper stora*e E these $ere only so"e proble"s he faced and could not solve alone& 1anusz Ka"oc'i, Polish ethno*rapher, curator at the Ethno*raphic !useum in Craco$ and one of the rst Polish researchers in Indonesia% advised him to donate his collection to the state on the condition that it beca"e the basis for the creation of a ne$ "useum $ith #a$rzynia' at the helm&2 In 1973 this proposal $as accepted by the !inistry of Culture and the Arts and the #arsa$ city council after the collection had ,i*& 4 8usantara 3allery; 200@= B& Delbert= ?isual Archive of been evaluated by a special co""ission as historic- the Asia and Paci c !useu"& ally, scientifically, and artistically valuable& In 1973 the !useum of Nusantara Archipela*o $as established% Maria 2-y"ańska-Ilnata The Asia and Paci c Museu" in #arsa$ 'unsttexte&de 4/2020 - ( The second exhibition space $as opened in a his- The rst Ine$ be*innin*J in the history of the toric tene"ent building on ,reta 2treet% close to Asia and Paci c !useu" #arsa$ Hld To$n. ,ro" 1984 to 2014 it $as also In 2013 the !useum started operating in the huge used for "eetings, s"all conferences and lectures. ne$ building designed by the 2-aroszyk and Kycerski 6uring that time% the !useum’s $ork $as split Architectural 2tudio that also housed "any apart- bet$een several locations, $hich "ade $orking life "ents for sale& The "useum space is located on t$o difficult& The offices and the technical $orkshop $ere floors. Hn the *round floor there is a permanent ex- for so"e time located a$ay fro" the stora*e roo"s, hibition space measuring 1000 "2, a roo" for te"por- $hile the t$o exhibition spaces $ere in different parts ary exhibitions, a library, reading roo"% educational of the city. After 1987 the housing situation beca"e space% conference roo"% cafL% shop% stora*e space "ore stable& The offices and stora*e roo"s $ere for exhibits, conservation and photo*raphic studios "oved to t$o buildings on 2olec 2treet% and the dis- and a fe$ offices. The rst floor houses the offices of plays were or*anised at the galleries on Freta and 8o- "ost of the "useum’s depart"ents and so"e stor- $o*rod-'a 2treet& 2ince 2002 the Asia and Pacific a*e roo"s. Although the design of the permanent ex- !useum cooperated $ith the /otanical 3arden of the hibition $as ready fro" the be*inning% it too' so"e Polish Acade"y of 2ciences in Po$sin, or*anising time to obtain the necessary funding& several te"porary exhibitions, for exa"ple% of con- 6espite these proble"s, the "useum $as very te"porary monumental te"ple sculptures in stone&7 actively pro"oting Asian arts, cultures and crafts. #e As $e can see fro" this brief historical outline% the started o) $ith a ca"paign called A'cja 2olec ;2olec "useum strug*led o$ing to the lac' of permanent ex- Action< $hich sought to present the "useum's poten- hibition space& Although it o$ns the land bet$een the tial to the people living nearby, the "ass "edia and t$o to$nhouses $here its offices and stora*e spaces the authorities. #e displayed so"e of the "ost spec- are located% it $as not able to afford the construction tacular artefacts fro" the collection in the e"pty of a ne$ building on that plot& The rst design for the roo"s of the ne$ building and organised guided tours ne$ building $as prepared in 1978, and the second% during the day and at night ( *. 6). envisioning a space for the "useum and offices for rent% in 1998, but neither $as realised& In 2004 a part- nership $as launched $ith a private investor to con- struct a building in a ne$ location, housing a hotel, offices for rent and spaces that the "useum could use& Although it too' several years to co"plete% the building was finally ready in 2013 ( *.