Intangible heritage journal helps share knowledge

Korea has been, in my opinion, the most committed and most generous government to focus on thinking about safeguarding intangible heritages, not only in Korea but also a number of Asia-Pacific countries

The scope of intangible cultural heritage is wide, vague and sometimes subjective. It ranges from practices, expressions and knowledge, to art associated with what communities, groups, and in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural identity.

Korea is one of the leading countries in enhancing regional safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific region, with experience and knowledge regarding the protection of intangible cultural heritage.

The nation has a growing role in sharing and delivering the idea of better preserving intangible heritages through the International Journal of Intangible Heritage, published by the National Folk Museum of Korea under the auspices of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

“Korea has been, in my opinion, the most committed and most generous government to focus on thinking about safeguarding intangible heritages, not only in Korea but also a number of Asia-Pacific countries. Look at Mongolia and Vietnam and recently Fiji. (There are)
So many countries Korea is trying to help,” Amareswar Galla, professor of the University of Queensland, Australia, said.

Galla and Hans-Martin Hinz, new president of ICOM, along with other prestigious international scholars, are visiting Seoul on Feb. 8 to 11 to attend the editorial and advisory meeting of the journal’s sixth volume at the museum in Seoul.

The journal was first published in May 2006 after the ICOM Triennial General Conference took place in 2004 in Seoul under the theme “Museums and Intangible Heritage.” Listed on A&HCI (Arts & Humanities Citation Index) last year, the publication is the first of its kind
that deals with intangible heritage around the world. It introduces theory and practice in relation to the study, preservation, interpretation and promotion of living heritage.

The German president said that through the journals, the museum curators can share knowledge to prepare for exhibitions. “Articles (in previous volumes) are very impressive. The volumes are distributed all over the world. The impact of the articles is quite strong if the
museum curators get those copies to the museums and read and think about them and have discussions,” said Hinz.

Galla and Hinz both agreed on the significance of the 2004 conference in Seoul as a good starting point to raise awareness of living treasures around the world following UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

International interest is gradually moving from tangible heritage to the intangible. Many years after UNESCO’s 1972 World Heritage Convention focusing on protection of “world heritage site status,” it came up with measures at the 2003 convention. “Years later, many
conferences on the theme have taken place all over the world organized by ICOM’s international and national committees.

We have discussions on intangible heritages. In the regions and countries, especially among museum people and curators, when they prepare the exhibitions nowadays, they have an eye on intangible heritages to explain history not just through materialized object but also through intangible history. So far it was a good beginning for us,” the president said.

Hinz also emphasized the role of ICOM as the non-governmental organization to cope with the international problems many countries are facing — looting and illicit excavations.

“When you listened to TV or radio last week in Egypt as well as in other places, there was a lot of looting, illegal excavations — things were stolen in museums as long as there was no protection by the army. So ICOM can have a voice and can speak to the public and media and
police, whoever needs this information for clarified situation. This is one important thing ICOM has to do,” said Hinz.

Hinz, who was elected as the new head of ICOM last year, will serve a three-year term by succeeding Alissandra Cummins who served from 2004 to 2010.

Hinz, a doctor of natural sciences, began his career as advisor for the establishment of new museums for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in West Berlin, Germany. Since 1991, he has been a member of the management team at the German Historical Museum in Berlin where he was a curator for 10 years. From 2000 to 2001, he was deputy minister of culture for Berlin.