Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Architecture Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Uğur Ulaş Dağlı released a statement on the occasion of 18th May, Museum Day and Week. The statement with “Museums are Countries’ Social Memories” title included the following:
“Museums are eternal memories bringing the past to the present regardless of their themes. These buildings providing information about past are a society’s memory. The rapid change and the notion of forgetting the past imposed on us by the era and the geography that we live in, once again, shows the importance of museums.
Contemporary Museums are approached with a theme and a systematical fiction. These museums are not places that solely focus on exhibiting the artwork or artifacts but also they are places designed with the purpose of research, education and enjoyment. Moreover, they are public places where people from all-age groups can socialize and learn facts regarding the past in a joyful way. Instead of exhibiting the artworks in closed showcases and providing very limited information on these items, the museums offer people to perceive with 5 senses. The artwork in exhibition is not the aim but the tool. Therefore, the story behind it is very significant. Reflecting information on a society’s political history is possible through the artworks. Another characteristic of the museums is the continuous change. It is important to meet the modern and up-to-date demands in terms of maintaining the sustainability.
As the EMU Faculty of Architecture, we have developed countless number of projects either on an urban scale or a building scale with the intention of bringing our cities forward. Contemporary Museum projects with different themes are among these projects.
Within this context, we are ready to cooperate with the Department of Antiquities and Museums, believing that the time has come for a contemporary museum that addresses universal norms; we celebrate our International Museum Day.”
