Conceptually, museums are non-profit permanent institutions in the service of society, with the main aim of researching, collecting, conserving, interpreting and exhibition of tangible and intangible heritage (Dickey, Azhar and Lewis, 2013). Globalisation, on the other hand, is a term that is used to describe how trade, technology and other human endeavours have made the world into a more connected and interdependent place (Araujo, 2009).
In recent times, museums serve multidimensional purposes for every society. These can be streamlined into two – as incubation centres and where researches that engender preservation of cultural heritage are being undertaken and as training, publications, knowledge documentation centres traversing performances, meetings, discussions and workshop provisions. When these activities cut across the countries and continents of the world, globalization sets in. As a matter of clarity, globalization is the process through which goods, services, ideas, information and even cultural practices flow seamlessly across borders to shape our interconnected world (Karp, 2006).
According to Young (2007), the cultural dimension of globalisation will continue to have profound impact on the rationale of museums and their everyday operations. These impacts include cultural domination or assimilation and the survival of cultural diversity that affect museums’ policies for collection and exhibition which, notably, have not made museums a strong force to be reckoned with in the past. The advent of technology has paved way for impressive museums’ muti-cultural possibilities across all human endeavours, heralding new purpose and strength for museums.
Museums are central to urban redevelopment. Therefore, every 21st century museum must adopt the value of post-colonial perspectives for museum studies that would be relevant to its audience as replicated in the Guggenheim museum practices (Mathur, 2005).
The terms ‘museums’ and ‘globalization’ have complex and multifaceted relationship that traverse numerous platforms of human endeavours. Key amongst these are:
Cultural exchange
Globalisation in museums activities has facilitated exchange of cultural artefacts, ideas and exhibition between museums worldwide, promoting cross-cultural understanding and collaborations. As already made known in the introductory part of this paper, cultural exchange embedded in people’s heritage is a major activity of museum’s existence. Cultural exchange is the mutual exchange of ideas, values, traditions, arts and languages between different countries and regions (Travish, 2013). Cultural exchange is underpinned in any activity that enables two or more people from different backgrounds to exchange, to cross-fertilise ideas, feelings, stories and customs. A major cultural exchange is its use as a platform of creating mutual dialogue, for the purpose of understanding diversity in communities and strengthening communities’ relations. It necessitates the acceptance and comprehension of cultures from other countries, through the use of language, customs and cultural traditions of parties involved.
Digital access
Globalization in museum practice has enabled online museum collections, exhibitions and education resources, engendering the proliferation and accessibility of cultural heritage in a much inclusive spectrum.
Digital access in recent practices of museums has enabled museums to use information technologies to digitally represent the traditional functions of a physical museum and to share the resources of cultural objects on the internet (https://isprsachives.copernicus.org). Digital media like Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube have been instrumental in promoting artistic exhibitions and events online and building an online presence that is capable of holding heritages. Through digital access, museums could harness arrays of opportunities that are present online and at the same time, using ethical practices that align with their mission to project cross-cultural activities and events that could inform appropriate remunerations in the cultural sector (https://www.linkfcatory.com 2022).
With a well-defined digital strategy, the 21st century museums can leverage on digital technologies to connect with their audience, protect their contents and cultural data, support their mission much better and build an excellent museum by consistently focusing on web-publishing fundamentals and improving access to collectives, community and content across numerous platforms
Decolonization and global audiences
Museums the world over are re-evaluating their collections and narratives, acknowledging colonial legacies and striving to decolonize their spaces, programmes and exhibitions by creating inclusive exhibitions and programmes that reflect the complexities of temporary societies, catering for diverse and global audience rather than restrictive audience, etc.
According to the Washington Post, decolonisation is “a process that institutions undergo to expand the perspectives they portray beyond those of the dominant cultural group, particularly white colonizers” (Coombes and Philips, 2020).
The concept of global audience as it relates to museums and globalization is geared towards an all-inclusive programme, cutting across the revival and recognition of cultures, traditions and heritage that have hitherto been relegated.
Summarily, museums globalization provides both challenges (cultural homogenization and economic pressure) and opportunities (cultural exchange, digital access) as tools necessarily available for museums to navigate and innovate.
Conclusively, museums and globalization are interwoven, with museums playing crucial roles in shaping and reflecting global cultural dynamics through the leverage on technologies.
