The Triennale of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) takes place every three years. At the triennale end of September in Valencia, it was the first time that multipe Wikimedia chapters cooperated and participated with a stand and with lectures. Wikimedia CH was represented by GLAM Lead Sandra Becker.
Here is Sandra’s summary:
In general the concept with the purpose for taking part was successful. ICOM is interested in future collaboration, the Wikimedia chapters had a lot to offer that was presented at the fair running the stand as well as giving talks presenting our museums related work. Due to hard wether situations plans had to be changed and it was interesting to see that everybody relied on the wether apps. So when the storms arrived things were dangerous and all venues could not take place as expected. That included the big conference itself but also our team as people gut wet and one person became sick.
As it was the first participation we also had to establish a good team that was successful due to the social interactions at evenings and nights that were very nice but also did not provide us much rest and sleep.
The results of being there
The strategy of Museums and our movement interact in their purpose and museums are interested to open up collections and to work with us. For Museums the 17 sustainability goals (as also presented at the United Nations) are key for future work.
It is huge global change due to all the crisis situations in the world. Our projects are valued and in line with the ICOM strategy: the international museum day, the work on red lists of missing objects, open access to collections, decolonizing heritage, addressing the youth by opening up and provide access with future hybrid events, including the global south, better working conditions for qualified academics, work on closing the knowledge gaps etc.
International Campaign on the Museums Day in the Wiki-Movement
Together with Fiona Romeo who works for the Wikimedia Foundation as Senior manager for culture and heritage we talked on the next international museum day campaign. She thought that Wikimedia Switzerland would only want to work with the German speaking chapters and that other languages are excluded. I explained the situation and she asked me to set up the Meta page and to open it up for all chapters worldwide. She will help communicating it and putting us as the international organizer. Each chapter that wants to participate has to set up their own projects by putting a link on our Meta page. This includes Austria and Germany but it also includes all other countries who want to run a campaign.
Read more
