Museums Change Lives. The Role of Museums in the Creation of the Democratic Public Sphere

My aim is to present the museum as an element of the public sphere as well as to present its opportunities and limitations in generating a public debate concerning migration. The problem of migration and multiculturalism is so important in the current social context that, despite its difficult political connotations, it cannot be omitted by museums, especially if we consider museums as an element of a public sphere. The concept of New Museology became a symbol of challenges which contemporary museums are facing. Adopting assumptions of the New Museology in the practice of museums is a visible marker of a public character of museums and it does not let them distance themselves from the politics. Museums are understood as public institutions which can include democratic principles and relations in their actions. In my opinion the museum can assure the space for inclusive forms of citizens’ activity, and the sheer co-participation in cultural practices supports democratic ideas. Museums have plenty of tools supporting the development of a dialogue between cultures, cultural and social integration, creating the atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding of different worldviews. Such actions can be an effective tool in the fight with the exclusion of certain communities from the possibility of taking part in benefits and resources offered by the society – in the cultural, economic, social and political dimensions. In this article I explore how everyday activity of the museum can support the civic culture in six different dimensions: knowledge, values, trust, space, practices and identity.