The Museum of Water has been nominated for European Museum of the Year, an extraordinary honour and achievement for all of us who have been working on the Museum with such care and effort over the last 3 years. The European Museum Forum have invited us to San Sebastián to talk about the Museum’s work. But it is an expensive opportunity, and I am desperately thankful to a-n artist network for the chance to come and represent the Museum on this pan-European platform.
And it is extraordinary being here, sitting in a room of 200 people from all over Europe, 200 people who are spending their days and years in marvellous endeavour, treasuring people and objects, memories, heritage and lives, to the very highest standards and best of their abilities. It is wonderful. It is humbling too, especially when museums take the stage like Gallery 11/07/95, which remembers the genocide in Sarajevo, the wonderful European Solidarity Museum in Gdansk or POLIN, the deeply beautiful Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
As barriers in Europe are being fortified, and our coalition feels more vulnerable than it has for many years, it feels very true that the best way to make long lasting links and connections is through the sharing of art and culture. This is how we share and understand each other, while politicians and economists wrangle and fight for rights, land and money.
Every museum has been given 10 minutes to talk and answer questions on their work, and it is surprising how much of a flavour of a place and its professionals you can get from that. There is much talk of service to the community, access, cultural expression, ethical care, new needs, infinite creations.
The prizes, they tell us, have been decided weeks ago, so the talks were only for fun, between professionals. I rather wished they had communicated this detail a little more clearly, after a few weeks of tension… However the atmosphere throughout has been glorious, kind, attentive, thoughtful and mutually supportive.
Tonight there is a gala dinner, where the prizes will be handed out. I don’t think there’s any chance we will win the big prize, which should go to POLIN or The Glorious Whitworth for the wonderful work they have done, but whatever happens, it has been brilliant to see Museum of Water share this stage. I had hoped for recognition for the extraordinary work the museum does, and to share some of the experience we have had with these European experts. An unexpected side effect has been the confidence this platform has given me. Museum of Water has held its own in this company, and more than that, many people have come up to me and told us how affected they were by our work, and how much it has to teach them. This is no small feat, amongst the very best in Europe.
Since arriving in Spain, it has rarely stopped raining. I am hoping this a good omen.
