"Preserving The Past Or The Future? Tensions Between Museums' Traditional Mandate To Preserve And Exhibit Cultural Heritage, And Their Responsibilities To The Planet And Future Generations"

Abstract

This article attempts to examine the acts of civil resistance that unfolded around artworks in museum collections in 2022-2024, with the aim of stimulating a discourse on how museums have been able - and potentially could be - to respond to these actions and the underlying claims they make. It also explores more broadly the tensions eco-activist actions have highlighted between museums' traditional mandate to preserve and exhibit cultural heritage, and their responsibilities to the planet and future generations. This article examines how museums have responded to these actions and the underlying claims they make, while also considering the wider implications of this interaction between environmental activism and cultural institutions. It raises the central question of the responsibilities of museums as cultural institutions in a world facing unprecedented environmental challenges. This article finally provides some perspectives on how these historic institutions strike a balance between preserving the past and actively engaging in the struggle for the future of the planet.

Keywords: Civil Resistance, Eco-Activism, Ecological Transition, Degrowth, Conservation