“Ten years of evolution, innovation and sustainability – ten years of scientific research, active citizenship and participation – ten years of exhibitions, projects and meetings with leaders in the world of science.” This is how MUSE, the Trento Science Museum, summarises the values of these first ten years of life, honoured with a series of events, culminating in a celebration on 22 July.
A collective “thank you”
“This celebration is also a way to thank all the people who have helped MUSE become one of the most important scientific museums in the world over the last ten years”, commented MUSE director and creator Michele Lanzinger, who referred to MUSE as a “major research centre as well as a laboratory for constructing social relations, culture and education – one which addresses sustainability, the environment, nature and the local area, and inspires solutions for leaving future generations with a tomorrow that is better than today”.
The museum and the local area
During the past ten years, MUSE has been a key contributor in terms of disseminating the scientific values underlying UNESCO’s recognition of the Dolomites as a World Heritage site. Not only has the museum contributed through daily information-sharing activities within the museum itself but also, and above all, through the work of researchers and the effect that entities such as the Geological Museum of the Dolomites in Predazzo have on the local area. As Michele Lanzinger himself had the opportunity to explain in May at the conference organised at MUSE by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation and dedicated to the Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail (the new Dolomites geological portal created by the Geological Heritage Operating Network), the very concept of ‘museum’ has completely changed in recent years – it is no longer just a showcase of discoveries and information, but an integral part of the local area and community: “The museum is its territory, and it is inextricably linked to the idea of the common good that the local communities have inherited”. This applies to the Dolomites World Heritage Site, and others able to capture it. Happy birthday MUSE!