Museum not amusing?

Despite having great potential as a national icon the Colombo museum shows shortcomings in certain areas

By Sujit Sivasundaram.

If the unaccquainted visitor to Colombo city were to ask for directions to the museum, most residents would quickly point the way. For such is the strength of the impression made on the beholder by the serene and splendid nineteenth century mansion. However, sadly, most of these eager residents would know nothing of the objects on display inside the hallowed halls and would not be able to tell of any recent visit to the institution.

This is indeed a sombre reflection; especially given the President's comment at the fiftieth independence anniversary celebrations that we have failed in the act of nation-building. For our museum should be an arbiter of our nationalism, an indicator of our cultural heritage, a guide to our collective identity and a showpiece to the next generation of what it means to be a Sri Lankan. However, if it is a rarely visited, unknown entity what hope can we hold for the cohesiveness of our nation?

The Keeper of the Colombo museum, Ranjit Hewage, had this to say: "The message we would like the visitor to take away is the racial and religious harmony that marked the early history of this nation. Buddhism existed side by side with Hinduism and our museum cases are designed to show this. Under the Sinhala kings there were no barriers to Tamil expression and religion. Our nation was one."

This is a pertinent message indeed for any contemporary Sri Lankan and the museum is the place where the physical evidence is displayed. As you enter through the main entrance, is a gallery full of artefacts from the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods showing the cross-fertilisation of religious ideas; whilst the newly built gallery housing the exhibition tilted "The Heritage of Sri Lankan Bronze Sculpture" ably displays images of the Buddha alongside Hindu gods.

This latter exhibition is a new addition and came into existence 'about a year and half ago' according to its eager attendant. Its corridors and hollowed walls give an atmosphere of mystique. There is enough space for the observer to commune with the objects in turn and enlarged images of the exhibited items on the wall further facilitate this assimilation.

One failing that is common in other galleries- the cluttering of numerous items into one case- is not seen here. Bodhisatt Avalokiteshvara sits in splendour alongside other priceless figures. Some panels with more information on the historical context would go down well here.

Mr. Hewage explained the concept of this new gallery thus: "People see the objects in isolation and get a feeling for them."

The collection here consists of the controversial pieces that were sent overseas on a promotional tour to Belgium, Holland, France and the Netherlands.

"Many people feared that the objects were not safe abroad and that they would never return to this country. However in 1995 they were returned and therefore the museum authorities decided that they wished to show the public that all was well with the objects."

Mr. Hewage also provided another reason for the construction of a new gallery. "Mr. Lakdusinghe, the Director of Museums, was extremely enthusiastic to bring to Sri Lanka the international method of display and museology before the twenty first century. This was his brainchild."

It is in the light of the positive appraisal that may be made of this new gallery that the remainder of the museum should be reviewed. As a reader Dr. Wickremasinghe comments in the letter adjoined to this article, (See below) a great many facets of the Colombo museum require attention.

Firstly, and very rightly as we discovered, he makes much of the importance of labelling. As a British visitor to the museum said, "The collection on display here is wonderful and I would have been able to spend hours if not for the labelling. There is very little explanation of what is on display when compared to other museums I have been to."

Indeed a walk around the galleries brings this home to any visitor. Many of the older cases simply bear inscriptions such as "Weapons. 17th-19th Century" without any contextual input; others such as the masks are numbered and labelled without any artwork of the dance forms or description of when and where they were performed.

Yet other objects simply sit in their cases with discoloured backing paper. It is clear that the interested visitor spends more time where there are lengthier descriptions. The ancient coin display in the seventh gallery and the Veddah displays with a flow chart of the ancestry of modern man are examples of this. It is this type of documentation that is missing elsewhere.

Ironically, though the coin cases are well documented, they suffer the effects of poor lighting. There seemed to be tube lights above the display but these were out of order when we visited. This is a shame for the poor lighting makes the coins indiscernible. The masks do not suffer this fate and stand off the staircase wall with the ferocity of their expressions suitably highlighted in glorious light. Thus the difference that good lighting makes is immeasurable.

More important, however, is the care that is given the objects and here we were distressed to see the easy access that visitors are given to the stone carvings. These are embedded in the ground and we found some visitors sitting in their grooves.

"This is a good resting place!" they told us. Similarly, outside on the balcony upstairs we discovered some old rickshaws decaying under the force of the elements. It was unclear when these dated from or where they originated for there was no labelling.

Now a greater list of the flaws of the older sections could be formulated, but the point should be made that the fault does not seem to lie with the curators, the director, the keeper or attendants. Those I spoke to at the museum, evinced a sincere enthusiasm for their occupation and the collection. They were eager to direct us to the most famous objects and the following statement that Mr. Hewage made seemed to ring true:

"The staff feel very strongly about this museum. Their lives are entwined with its existence."If then there is a dedicated and enthusiastic staff why do some parts of the museum lie in disrepair?

Reading between the lines of what was said, it became clear that if the finances were made available the staff of the museum were willing to bring the older quarters up to the standard of the newly built gallery.

Furthermore more staff members could then be recruited for this task. However, this seemed to be an unlikely prospect as the allocated funds from the Treasury will not meet the renovation project that Dr. Weerasinghe calls for in his letter.

What this points to is a lack of understanding of the important role that the Colombo Museum can play in the re-building of an united Sri Lanka. Mr. Hewage said that of the fourteen to twenty thousand visitors who come to the museum every month approximately twelve thousand are school children, often from distant parts. Not much reflection is necessary to imagine what an impact a well documented and historically contextualised museum can make on the minds of these impressionable children.

Abroad, there has been a significant trend towards the commercialisation of museums to make the necessary funds; tags such as 'Sainsbury's' and 'Shell' have been added to the names of halls.

Gift shops, galleries named after sponsors, and special indoor concerts have also become the norm. Therefore, if indeed the demands on the Treasury are great and the museum cannot have too large a quota, perhaps it is time to turn to the private sector to meet the shortfall.

The museum staff is willing and capable; its collection is impressive and the new gallery shows what may be done. It is now time for members of the public to make the museum a routine stop so that there is a resurgence in interest; and for private organisations to come forward and provide much needed resources. Then new life may be breathed into the corridors of this monumental nineteenth century building.

"154 million but no people"

"The new bronze exhibition is an example of how a good thing can be done if people get together."

This was what S. Lakdusinghe, Director of Museums, told The Sunday Times when we contacted him for comments on the Colombo Museum and his vision for its the future. He said that the new exhibition had received rounded praise from many eminent people. Some expressed the opinion that it displayed the objects better than they were displayed when taken abroad; whilst others said that they were ashamed that they had not visited the exhibition earlier.

Although it was originally believed that the new bronze exhibition would only last for six months, such was the reception it received that it will now become a permanent exhibition.

"Some of the objects are on loan and so we will have to replace them with others in our possession, otherwise the exhibition will stay as it is."

Mr. Lakdusinghe added that the funding for the exhibition had come from a variety of sources and that the help of the Cultural Fund, the Archaeological Department and the Postgraduate Department of Archaeology were crucial in making it a reality.

When the direction of questioning changed to the state of the rest of the museum, Mr. Lakdusinghe admitted that he was aware of the lack of labelling.

"We are struggling without enough people," he said.

"Because of the retirement scheme most our employees left; and as the government has frozen the filling of these positions an institution such as ours is affected very badly."

Mr. Lakdusinghe did reveal that the government has granted 154 million rupees for the construction of a new section to house the museum's library, an auditorium, a restaurant and temporary exhibition halls. "There is a lot of congestion in the library which is currently in a bad situation." Thus this funding seems to come at an opportune moment.When asked whether private organisation could help rejuvenate the museum Mr. Lakdusinghe replied positively:

"We are hoping to implement an accelerated programme for the conservation of the museum. Private organisations can help by providing money, chemicals, equipment etc. They can do a lot but should not meddle in the day to day administration of the museum."

'Give them the tools…they will get on with their job'

Extracts from a letter to The Editor written by Dr. Asoka Weerasinghe in response to comments in the August 2nd 1998 issue of the Sunday Times on declining tourist numbers at the Colombo museum.

As a visitor to the National Museum of Colombo last September, my conclusion was that, the Directors and Curators (past and present) of the Museum were not incapable of doing their jobs effectively, but that they may have been constrained by the lack of support, financially and otherwise, by the Museum's controlling authorities, in doing their jobs. This was apparent at every nook and corner of the museum, whether it happened to be in interpretation, conservation or security. I believe in the basic labour code, "Give them the tools and they will get on with their job."

These are some of the questions that should be addressed by the officials:

1) What should the role(s) of museums in Sri Lanka be as we move into the twenty-first century? 2) What current issues need to be resolved immediately and what others are long-terms ones? What impact will today's choices have on the future development of the National Museum and regional museums in Sri Lanka? 3) What can each of the players-museums, governments, associations, the private sector, do to meet the challenges that lie ahead?

How can the museums be made a tourist attraction and how can they foster a greater awareness of the significance and richness of Sri Lanka's heritage and culture?

During my visit to the museum what I found sparse and sometimes lacking were informational texts and labels about artefacts. A mask without an interpretative label, is as good as a mask a foreign tourist would see at Laksala. When tourists visit the museum they expect to inform themselves through the interpretation of artefacts in the display cases.

However, one cannot expect tourists to learn if the necessary information is lacking from the exhibit.

If government funding is not forthcoming, to help improve the collections and show them to the public through permanent, temporary and travelling exhibitions, then the government's Ministry responsible for the National Museum should find the mechanics to let the Museum use the turnstile revenue, corporate gifts, donations and sponsorships, which will in turn increase the profile of the institution as well as increase the attendance. By providing such mechanics, the National Museum will be able to build a strong base of support, both participative and financial.

What really was amiss for me at the Museum was not being able to visit a decent Gift Shop, a mini-Laksala, where one could buy souvenirs such as replicas of artefacts seen in the Museum Galleries. A gift shop has always been a necessary appendage to any museum and the tourists routinely go into one after visiting the galleries. There is no reason why this gift shop should not be run by an independent entrepreneur. Mind you, aside from the tangible goods sold in the gift shop, the museum will also be selling the benefits of the museum experience- intellectual and emotional stimulation, satisfaction and enjoyment to a foreign tourist.

As a museologist who has been involved in several museum projects in Canada, my assessment is that it is time that the governing authority of the National Museum appoints a National Museum Task Force to take a serious look at the present physical and operational status of the National Museum.

This task force should assess whether it has performed adequately and responsibly and its rightful role as a national centre of excellence within the following definition.

"A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, communicates, and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his environment."

Dr. Weerasinghe is Former Head of Thematic Research, National Museums Corporation of Canada, Head of Exhibits, National Museum of Natural Science in Canada. He is also President, Rothwell Communications, Ontario Canada (Museum exhibits consultants).

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