BALANCING CONSERVATION FOR THE NEW MUSEUM

Text topic: New Museology Between Theory and Practice

Text author: Александра Николић

The paper deals with redefinition of the role of conservation in museological system, in accordance with the changes in this field in the last two decades and with the emergence of new museological theory and practice. The author begins discussion with terminological distinction of the basic terms in conservation, considering them as limitations of great importance for the development of the field, and continues with defining the position of conservation and its relation with other functions within the museological system. Among existing models of museum functions, the author opts for CC model of Dutch Reinwardt Academie and uses it as the basis of a museum model proposal that takes the complex of conservation and documentation as the key function of the museological system, if the system is based on the possession of collections. This is tested by comparison of the changes that happened in the museum conservation practice and the consequences of proclaiming new museology. This comparison reveals to what measure the conservation, in theory and practice, adapted to the new museum, while keeping its significance because of the fact that collections remained the principal museum resource, even with new museological phenomena using different means of communication and different approaches to users.