FULL TOUR
Conceiving a National
Museum - THE MUSEUM AS VISION
The museum expresses the
philosophies, world-view, values, aspirations, and intentions of
those who shaped its form and its function. One was the
architect; Douglas Cardinal's first proposal for a design for
the new museum declared:
"Our future is optimistic and should be celebrated. This
national treasure-house must welcome the people, teach them,
inspire them and send them away enlightened and optimistic that
we are progressing as human individuals and as a Nation."
Instead of designing a structure that merely houses artifacts,
Cardinal created a modern artifact. It makes statements about
Canada's past and present that are highly appropriate contexts
for the cultures presented within the building. His vision of
what the new museum should be matched well the vision of CMC's
leaders.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is both a product and a
process. The process is the harmonization of the creative
efforts of the architects of museum form and the architects of
museum function. The product is a microcosmic reflection of the
global village and, at the same time, its spiritual counterpart
the universal church, celebrating the cultural achievements of
humanity (especially Canadians) from the Ice Age shaman who
painted the caverns at Lascaux to the Space Age wizards who plot
spiritual pathways in fibre-optic cables.
During the course of the project, the museum's name changed from
the National Museum of Man to the Canadian Museum of
Civilization, reflecting not only an implicit broadening of the
museum's mandate but also a recognition of McLuhan's concept of
a global village where all civilizations meet. Unlike the United
States' Smithsonian Institution, which tends to focus on the
eastern seaboard, as the cradle of the nation, and the myth of
the melting-pot, CMC has necessarily taken a different position
on ethnicity. Canada has never been a true melting-pot of
culture. CMC celebrates the diverse ethnic origins of the
Canadian people within the context of a national identity. This
gives CMC a stronger link to other nations than most other
national museums have, while placing it in a unique position to
provide world leadership in intercultural understanding. This
perspective reflects Canada's image of itself as a nation which
seeks to promote world peace.
Interpretive programmes at the Museum
provide opportunities for people from different cultural
backgrounds to cross paths and interact.
© Canadian Museum of Civilization,
D2004-18587 (left), D2004-18589 (right), CD2004-1377
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If Canada is not a melting-pot, it can be seen as a crossroads
where valid cultural forms can be exchanged and built upon.
Crossroads have important traditional roles as market-place and
ritual centre. The first meets our needs to communicate with
fellow humans, and the second recognizes our urge to communicate
with our ancestors and our deepest-rooted beliefs. As Canada in
microcosm, CMC uses the crossroads model to provide an arena in
which different cultures meet for their better mutual
understanding.
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