Redna letna konferenca ICOM ICDAD

“Collectors and Collections: their role in decorative arts and design museums”

Graz, Avstrija & Ljubljana, Slovenija

15. -19. oktober 2014

Art collecting began at the beginning of the history of art. Scholars in Ancient Greece viewed both contemporary and ancient art and with a critical eye. Although objects have moved through various private collections for centuries, it is only in rare cases that we have been able to follow their history before they entered the inventories of large private collections or public institutions.
The oldest museums were formed from private collections, from the 19th century with the Arts and Crafts Movement and the establishment of the first Decorative Arts museum in London, the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum). Such government funded museums were founded with the aim to collect, inspire, and educate the public.
In “difficult times”, such as times of war and natural disasters, the museum can be a place that experiences significant loss or gain of important objects or entire collections, as in the collecting method of confiscation of private property.
In “times of prosperity”, the potential donation of a private collection might pose a problem for the museum, if the objects in question lie outside the scope of the institution’s collection development plan.
We believe the theme of the role of private colllections in museums of decorative arts and design will provide an opportunity to discuss historical precedents as well as modern and contemporary case studies. This program provides a tremendous opportunity to learn about the collectors and collections from international perspectives.


Abstracts for presentation by April 30th 2014:
Presentations should be 20 minutes in length and can be in English or in French.
Please send a 200-300 words abstract, a short biographical note and contact details to:
Annie Carlano, ICDAD Secretary (annie.carlano@mintmuseum.org)
by April 30th, 2014.
The proposals will be reviewed by a working group. Successful proposals will be acknowledged
by May 30th 2014.