- Museum Maluku
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Museum Maluku 
Museum Maluku in UtrechtEstablished 1986 Location Utrecht, Netherlands Director Huib Akihary[1] Curator Jet Bakels Website Museum Maluku Museum Maluku, also known by the abbreviation MuMa, is a museum dedicated to the Moluccas and the Moluccan community living in the Netherlands. Museum Maluku is located in the city of Utrecht.[1] The original mission of the museum was to preserve and promote Moluccan cultural heritage in the Netherlands. However, the mission of the museum has now expanded to include exhibitions on Moluccans throughout the world, including Indonesia. [1]
Contents
History
Moluccans in the Netherlands
Approximately 12,500 Moluccans arrived in the Netherlands on a temporary basis in 1951 following the end of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia.[1] Though initially meant to be temporary residents, the Dutch government began regarding the Moluccans as permanent residents of the country in 1956 and began promoting integration within Dutch society.[1] The Moluccans were prevented from returning to Maluku in Indonesia for social and economic reasons until the 1980s.[1]
Museum Maluku
Museum Maluku logo.
In 1986, the Dutch government announced its intention to open a museum as a gift to the Moluccan community in the Netherlands.[1][2] In a statement released by both the Dutch government and the Badan Persatuan (Moluccan Unitary Movement), which jointly developed the new institution, the museum was described as a "living monument', providing an image 'of the history of the Moluccan community, which may also serve to stimulate the contemporary development of Moluccan art and culture in the Netherlands."[2] The joint press release announcing the future museum for the Moluccan community was released on April 21, 1986.[2]
The Museum Maluku, or Moluks Historisch Museum (Moluccan Historical Museum), as it was first called, was opened to the public in Utrecht in November 1990.[1] [2] It transitioned into a private foundation in 1995.[2] Dutch-born Huib Akihary was appointed as MuMa's current director in March 2009.[3]
In addition to the permanent collection, the Museum Maluku houses temporary exhibitions and an auditorium which can seat eighty people. The museum also includes an educational research center and a small cafe featuring Moluccan cuisine. [4]
In 2009, the Museum Maluku announced plans for a €1 million euro conversion and extension on the existing building.[4] The Museum commissioned Serge Schoemaker Architects of Amsterdam for the project, which is expected to be completed in 2012.[4] The expansion will replace part of the existing building, which was constructed in the 1980s, and an unused courtyard.[4] According to press releases, the new expansion will feature an Open plan, creating a new exhibit room and foyer.[4] The foyer will border a central cafe, outdoor terrace and a garden.[4]
Museum partnerships
The Museum Maluku has partnered with numerous Dutch, Indonesian and American organizations to establish exhibitions and cultural exchanges. Its Dutch collaborators continue to include the Dutch government and the various Moluccan organizations within the country. The Museum has also partnered with other Dutch cultural institutions including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Dutch Museum Association, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Aboriginal Art Museum in Utrecht, the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Bronbeek and the Friends of Papua Heritage Foundation (PACE).[1]
The museum's Indonesian partners include Governor of Maluku province, the Museum Siwa Lima in Ambon, Erasmus Huis in Jakarta, ethnic Moluccan diplomats, the Embassy of the Netherlands to Indonesia and the Rinamakana Foundation of Ambon.[1] The Museum Maluku launched a partnership beginning in August 2009 with the World of Maluku (WOM), a magazine published in Jakarta and edited by Samuel Wattimena.[1] Under the collaboration, the Museum Maluku is the distributor and main correspondent of the World of Maluku magazine in the Netherlands.[1] The museum is also in talks with Erasmus Huis in Jakarta to launch a yearly Moluccan market to serve the Moluccan community residing in Indonesia's capital city.[1]
Museum Maluku has also worked with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[1] It is working to partner with Moluccan diaspora communities in the U.S. state of California, as well as Australia.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Veal, Sara (2009-10-23). "Partnering the past present". Jakarta Post. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/10/23/partnering-past-present.html. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
- ^ a b c d e "Museum Maluku". The Memory of the Netherlands Project. http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/en/instellingen/museum_maluku. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
- ^ Veal, Sara (2009-10-23). "Huib Akihary: The Best of Both Worlds". Jakarta Post. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/10/23/huib-akihary-the-best-both-worlds.html. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ a b c d e f "Museum Maluku (MUMA) Extension Design". +Mood. 2010-05-24. http://plusmood.com/2010/05/museum-maluku-muma-extension-design-serge-schoemaker-architects/. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
External links
- Museum Maluku (Dutch) (Indonesian) (English)
- Museum Maluku on Facebook
- Museum Maluku Extension Design by Serge Schoemaker Architects
Categories:- Museums in the Netherlands
- Museums in Utrecht (city)
- Museums established in 1990
- Ethnographic museums
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