Muzeum jako przestrzeń sztuki, pamięci i dialogu. Przypadek Najmniejszego Muzeum Świata

Abstract

This article presents reflections on the meanings and functions of museums, especially of private museums, in the contemporary society. On one hand, the author concentrates on the continuity of traditional functions and forms of museums, on the other, on the changes that occur nowadays in this field. These changes include, first of all, a substantial expansion of the museum’s activity, which is not limited to exhibitions, but also encompasses: publishing, education, promotion of social dialogue, development of creative potentials, and even psychotherapeutic activities. The author supports his analysis with a case study, which is The Smallest Museum in the World. The museum is a very interesting and innovative grassroots initiative, which was founded in 1988, and occupies the space of an ordinary two-room apartment in a Warsaw block of flats. The founder of this museum is Dr Halina Duczmal-Pacowska. The activities of The Smallest Museum in the World provide a very good example of the changing functions of museums, and show how the forms they take are socially shaped.