About the Museum Watch Program
Definition
In 1962, CIMAM was founded as an International Committee of ICOM, acknowledging the specific position of modern and contemporary art museums within the broader museum ecology. In 2016, CIMAM became an Affiliated Organization of ICOM obtaining legal and financial autonomy but keeping its strategic vision and actions connected to ICOM.
In 2012, CIMAM initiated a series of news publications regarding the different critical situations of Museums and Collections around the world, especially in regions affected by world economic and political crises. The Museum Watch Program that came out of this serves as an advocacy program addressing specific situations that impact museum professionals and not-for-profit institutions of modern and contemporary art.
Public Museum Watch actions since 2012
Aims
Through the support of ethical principles, good governance, and best practices, the Museum Watch Program is intended to be a tool to assist modern and contemporary art museum professionals in dealing with critical situations that affect the museums' ability to maintain their codes of practices and individuals to undertake its profession. It does so with the aim to stimulate reflection and generate debate.
The overall objectives are:
- to generate deeper understanding within the field, by analyzing and discussing cases in the MWC, leading up to documentation that will be then archived by CIMAM,
- to uphold ethical principles, good governance, and best practices for modern and contemporary art museums, including codes and guidelines pertaining to that, eventually uncovering topics for future conferences,
- to inform the CIMAM community and society at large about critical situations that impact the museums' ability to maintain their mission,
- to express concern by focusing on CIMAM principles,
- to enact support and solidarity when it appears necessary and feasible, including activism,
- to provide a network to support CIMAM members.
CIMAM's Museum Watch Committee 2023-25
The 2023–25 Museum Watch Committee consists of seven board members of CIMAM: Zeina Arida (Chair), Bart de Baere, Malgorzata Ludwisiak, Amanda de la Garza, Kitty Scott, Yu Jin Seng, and Agustin Perez Rubio.
Listen to the interview with Bart Baere, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA) and Former Chair of CIMAM's Museum Watch Committee, with Ben Luke, journalist, and broadcaster of The Week in Art, The Art Newspaper's podcast, about the Museum Watch Governance Management Project, a special ICOM initiative to help the museum community address management challenges more effectively.
Museum Watch Online Form
Members and non-members of CIMAM can easily reach the CIMAM Board and submit their cases through the online form available at cimam.org. Your case will be examined by the Museum Watch Committee consisting of 6 members of the CIMAM Board. You will be contacted within the next 10-15 working days.