The Virtual Collection of Masterpieces

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1 The Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM)
2 The History of the VCM
3 Who is involved in the VCM?
4 The founding partners
5 Contributing museums
6 External links

[edit] The Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM)

The Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM) is a Web-accessible selection of images and accompanying information on Asian masterpieces from Asian and European museums.

The project uses the Internet and masterpieces in the collections of contributing museums to promote mutual understanding and appreciation between the peoples of Asia and Europe.

It focuses on chooses masterpieces, because “Museums all over the world take pride in masterpieces; people are fascinated by those pieces of art and culture of such quality that they transcend the ordinary to speak across time about cultural expression and achievement.” The website raises the question of the definition of a masterpiece; every participating museum explains why its masterpieces are considered as such. The VCM also offers an alternative tool to people from various levels; academic, young people, and professionals, who can make use of the VCM as part of their research, teaching and learning. In addition it creates debate about and understanding of the relationship between Asia and Europe.

28 museums from Asia and 22 museums from Europe have contributed approximately 1000 masterpieces to to the VCM.

The VCM is supported by the Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF) in Singapore as a flag ship project and led by a consortium of Asian and European museums.

[edit] The History of the VCM

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), which was launched by the Asia-Europe Meeting countries (ASEM) on the 15th of February 1997 in Singapore, seeks to promote understanding between the peoples of Asia and Europe through intellectual, cultural and people-to-people exchange. This exchange includes conferences, lecture tours, workshops, seminars and the use of web-based platforms. Taking up the challenges of ASEF’s mission, some museum directors in Asia and Europe embarked on a programme of cooperation, called the Asia-Europe Museums Network (ASEMUS). In August 2005, ASEMUS museums considered highlighting the masterpieces as the first phase of an ambitious project in order to promote greater understanding between the peoples of Asia and Europe. ASEMUS has initiated many projects, the Virtual Collection of Masterpieces being one of the most important.

The VCM can be found at http://masterpieces.asemus.museum

[edit] Who is involved in the VCM?

The consortium project is coordinated by the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum in Yongin City, Korea and the Museum Volkenkunde, National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, in partnership with ASEF.

[edit] The founding partners

- Museum Volkenkunde, National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden
- National Heritage Board, Singapore
- Gyeonggi Provincial Museum, Yongin-City, Korea
- National Museum of the Philippines, Manila
- Shanghai Museum, Shanghai
- Musée du quai Branly, Paris
- Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
- Museum of World Cultures, Gothenburg
- Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF)
- Asia Pacific Regional Organisation of ICOM (ICOM-ASPAC)

[edit] Contributing museums

- Museum für Völkerkunde, Vienna
- Palace Museum, Beijing
- Shanghai National Museum, Shanghai
- Naprstek Museum, Prague
- Kulttuurin Museo, Helsinki
- Musée du quai Branly, Paris
- Musée Guimet, Paris
- Museum für Völkerkunde, Hamburg
- Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde, München
- Museum of Art, Kowloon
- Museum Kebangkitan Nasional, Jakarta
- Museum Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta
- Museum Sumpah Pemuda, Jakarta
- Museum Basoeki Abdullah, Jakarta
- Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
- Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale "Giuseppe Tucci", Rome
- Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico "Luigi Pigorini", Rome
- Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture, Nagasaki
- National Museum of Korea, Seoul
- Hanyang University Museum, Seoul
- Sejong University Museum, Seoul
- Gyeonggi Provincial Museum, Yongin-city
- Hong Prakaew, Vientiane
- National Museum, Vientiane
- Sisaket Museum, Vientiane
- That Luang Museum, Vientiane
- Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam
- Museum Volkenkunde, National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden
- National Museum, Manila
- Ayala Museum, Makati City
- Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku w Warszawie, Warszawa
- National Museum in Warsaw
- National Museum in Krakow
- Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon
- Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
- Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
- National Museum of Singapore
- National Archives of Singapore
- NUS Museum, Singapore
- Slovene Ethnographic Museum, Ljubljana
- Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Madrid
- Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg
- Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm
- Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm
- Chiang Mai National Museum, Chiang Mai
- Rai Mae Fah Luang, Chiang Rai
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Bao Tang Dan Toc Hoc Viet Nam, Hanoi
- Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, Hanoi
- National Museum of Vietnamese History, Hanoi
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London