Jebrael Nokandeh, the head of the National Museum, pointed out that national museums are known worldwide as mother museums and said: In the National Museum of Iran, we face a problem even in terms of space.
According to Mehr news, Jebrael Nokandeh, in the Sanjeh meeting held in the Dafineh museum campus, held at the Dafineh museum campus: If we talk from the point of view of management institutions, one of the institutions that manage museums are government institutions, and these museums are supported and politicized by governments. Most of the world’s national museums are public.
The head of the National Museum added: State museums in the world leave the management to the people to some extent. It has been 150 years since governments have gradually handed over the responsibility for policy-making to another department. The experience of the board of trustees in significant and even small museums has been successful because they benefit from collective wisdom. This should also happen in Iran’s state museums. We should leave the management to the people because the primary audience of the museums is the people, so they can play a role in its direction. If people are present in planning policy-making and goals, museums will succeed more in their missions.
He continued: “We have more than 260 museums affiliated o the Ministry of Cultural heritage, and besides those there are also university museums and others. When we enter the museums and see the layout, there is little creativity, or it is not enough because there is no budget. In our country, the field of culture is at the bottom of receiving funds. If we have a board of trustee’s structure, we can use people’s help, and if we share the difficulties with those who love it, they will support themselves. This issue is mentioned in the sixth plan, but no action was taken on it.
Nokandeh said: Of course, we have museums with a board of trustees, but the museums of cultural heritage have no board of trustees. While, the board of trustees is a step to fatten the management of cultural institutions, including museums.
Nokandeh continued: Statistics of museum visits show that the numbers are not significant. No attention is paid from the side of the government – policy makers, and people are not sensitive to the museum. People may not know that the museum can make them feel better and play a role. We have yet to teach how impactful a museum can be. Why have we yet to teach people that, for example, they can see the works of the greatest and most famous artists in world art? Museums are places where art is displayed.
He went on to say: Our public and government institutions need to learn how to educate or work so that museums become a place for people to visit. At the same time, complex issues can be taught in the museum.
Museums are left out in mega decisions
He continued: The museum does not exist in the system of planning and policies. Has it been discussed in the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, or do we have lost to allow this issue to be addressed in the parliament? This issue needs to be taken seriously; now, we have 860 state and non-state museums. This number is good compared to the population of Iran. The highest executive position of museum is the management of the policy-making council. Where are we standing?
This archaeologist said: National museums are mother museums, the showcase of a land. By visiting these museums for a day or two, you can summarize the history of that land. The National Museum has the task of introducing you to world cultures. Is the structure of the facilities and infrastructure of the National Museum of Iran the same as its counterparts in the world? Where do these museums stand in terms of the organizational structure of the ministry? In the national museums of the world, the head of the museum’s board of trustees is usually the president of the country, and the head of the museum becomes an advisor to the minister of culture. The highest executive position is the member of the policy-making council. Where are we at work?
He pointed to the space of the National Museum for displaying works. He said: We have 3 million cultural materials and 3 thousand works in the exhibition space. The exhibition space is only 8 thousand meters for this number of works. In the development plan of the National Museum, we should have 25 hectares of land to build on it, because we have serious problem in terms of space.
We do not have an Achaemenid and Sasanian Museum
Nokandeh said: It is astonishing that we live in Iran and do not have an Achaemenid or Sassanid Museum. The Achaemenid Gallery of the national Museum of Iran is less than 150 sqm in space. This museum was good when it was built. When Andre Godard designed the museum he envisioned a large area of the Mashgh Square and the National Museum in his design. When the map of the museum was finalized, Reza Shah looked at it and said: “Who said to use all this land to build the museum?” Later, only a small part of the Square was allocated for the museum. Godard said: “I will build this, but it is just enough for the present items. This museum will be full in 10 years; what do you want to do after that? How long has it been since then?
He added that all of West Asia and the central part of this continent was part of Iran. This museum must be a mother in today’s political geography and feed other museums. This is the function of mother museums. I saw they have a museum of Timur in the country, but do we have a museum of Shah Abbas? Many political and historical figures have played valuable roles throughout history.
