Too dangerous for the museum

Museums can be safe places for unsafe topics but a leading museum director asks whether there is a point when ideas become too dangerous for museums to present.
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Fear of the unknown is a dangerous place, represented by ancient map makers with dragons. 

‘Freedom of speech – in a global context – certainly doesn’t mean, nor should it, that anyone can say anything, anywhere.’ It was a powerful reminder by Alec Coles, CEO of Western Australian Museum (WAM), who tackled the thorny and very critical question whether museums are ‘safe places for unsafe topics’ at the recent Museums Australia Conference in Sydney.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina