The journey of standardization and improvement in museum practice - The evaluation of regional museums in Taiwan

Christina Chun HSU

Abstract

It is logical to have a standard for any kind of cultural institution under one government, especially when the number of museums have increased to more than four hundred. This is, however, an issue that our museum field is facing. Since the first museum in Taiwan was established under the political power of the Japanese government in 1908, the colonial museum model has become a typical model for subsequent museums in Taiwan. Of course, the museum had been one of the symbolic cultural institutions of Japanese modernization in the 1860's, and the Japanese also took it as a way to modernize Taiwan after the treaty of the War between China and Japan in 1895. Unfortunately they did not have a chance to train museum professionals before the end of their occupation, and museum directors were commissioned by the government during that period. This was the first contact that Taiwanese museums had with a regime of outside governors, who used the museum as a tool for legitimating their domination. The goal of museums of this type concerns nothing about the civil rights of the people in Taiwan. It was not like the British Museum which was first set up as a nonprofit organization by the Trustee of the British Museum placed under the control of their Parliament which represented all English people, and which purchased important collections with the public funds of the Dublin Hospital Lottery in 1753. The three influential factors for a museum's standard: the law, the governance, and the stakeholders of the British Museum, are all in the hands of the representatives of the English people.

Even when Taiwan was freed from the Japanese occupation in 1946, it came under martial control by General Chiang Kai-shek, who retreated from the battles in the now Communist China to Taiwan. Therefore, the National Palace Museum was established by the government of the President's office using the same colonial model of the Japanese in 1953. Again, it was not based on any law but the control of General Chiang Kai-shek and it was funded by the money of all the people in Taiwan. If the existence of the Museum gives any meaning to the people in Taiwan, it is for foreign visitors, especially for diplomacy, because it can be used as proof that this island is a part of China. When the ruling of General Chiang Kai-shek's party came to an end, and the regime was transferred into oppositionists, the museum's directors had to be changed as well, just as the museum directors during the Japanese occupation that were commissioned by the Japanese governor of Taiwan.

Of course, Taiwanese society has changed following the quick transfer of political powers, but not only the civil needs of our communities were never fulfilled, political elections also became the main power driving these political changes, because the one who controls community needs can control the vote easily. Therefore, every elected government, whether it is on the central, local, or even district level, uses museums for its political goals to gain power and status, rather than to build a democratic society. The museum, a shining democratic representation, once again becomes a tool to gain public funds, and not promote civil rights. How can we formulate a way to evaluate our museums in Taiwan with higher standards of a civil society? In my presentation I will lay on the table of the conference for the global museum members to discuss.

Personally, I have to say that I was lucky enough to have a chance to retake my studies of Chinese art history after 15 years of being a housewife, and I finished my doctorate degree in 1984 from Paris VII. Plus, I received a position of education in the Exhibition Department in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. However, my father was killed along with his students who were declared dissenters by General Chiang Kaishek in the political event of February 28, 1947. Due to this political background, I was forced to take a demoting post and serve as the lowest clerk in the museum, even though I had a Ph. D degree and this was 34 years after my father's death. In addition, none of my professional suggestions for the good of the people were ever accepted by the head of the department. It was then that I realized if a museum does not have good staff, none of its functions could be fulfilled, let alone achieving its mission, regardless of its size, academic category, or if it is private or state-owned. Seven years later in 1991, I left the museum for the position of assistant curator of Asian Art collections in the Art Museum of Princeton University, where I learned the American methods of museology in practice and in theory. In 1994 by the time I returned to Taiwan after the three-year contract, I had suggested that the essential factor of A Success/ Failure Matrix for Museums 1 is the planning competency of museum staff, I decided to teach museum studies in an academic institute rather than helplessly work in a museum with my ..black.. political background. My vision was to have some healthier museum staff members to work for civil rights in such an unhealthy circumstance where the museums were colonized.