Museo

Aa. Vv. Introduction by Christian Greco

Originally, museums were simply containers of artistic masterpieces, artefacts and patriotic memories. But recently the museum has become a central focus in the organisation of cities: a system that gathers different poles around a single institution. It also connects and valorises various entities, often creating opportunities for experimentation and innovation, as well as preservation. The museum’s traditional role of protecting historical treasures has expanded to include the creation of cultural initiatives and educational activities for students and adults, thus transforming the museum from an object to an active subject of social and cultural processes and proactive projects. In recent decades, its appearance has undergone huge changes due to the evolution of ways of preserving artistic heritage and the whole concept of cultural heritage, but above thanks to the extraordinary and continuous contributions which technology has enabled. In terms of economic strategies, the museum has become a potentially genuine product. An introduction by Christian Greco – director of the Egyptian Museum of Turin, one of the most famous museums in Italy and worldwide – opens this fascinating journey which various authors, architects and archaeologists specialised in museums have built for us.