Many people will have missed these stories but they are rather serendipitous for Launceston – and especially for Launceston now. What cannot fail to catch your attention is that the first story – the one to do the stolen painting – points to the institution’s endemic, and serial, governance and management failures and weaknesses. So we imagined that us Lonnyites were alone with the smell of bureaucratic recalcitrance in the air near the museum .... click here to read the storyOne might imagine that someone in Cairo might have been saying the day before the robbery happened that it couldn’t. Then again, perhaps it has elsewhere in the museum and nobody has noticed yet. Or perhaps, maybe it has and nobody is talking about it. Its anybody’s guess really.
Its an odds on bet that there is quite a bit blame shifting going on at the Khalil Museum as we speak. One wonders what they do to delinquent bureaucrats in Egypt? Does Sharia law kick in for misdemeanors like this? Clearly not thus far it would seem.
But it doesn’t stop there, across the ditch in NZ, and Auckland specifically, there is another story that smells much more like home and that is the kind of salutary read we are unlikely to get if we buy The Examiner. It certainly is rich pickings out there online today!
Both stories tell Launcestonians that they are not alone. Reading between the lines – even though we shouldn't do that – it seems the museum world reeks as much with intellectual myopia and bureaucratic entropy as can be found in public administration almost anywhere.
In shareholder world those found wanting tend to move on quite quickly. Its always a bit of worry when you find a functionary that's been round the block a couple of times.
In shareholder world those found wanting tend to move on quite quickly. Its always a bit of worry when you find a functionary that's been round the block a couple of times.
Petar Hill
3 comments:
It might be no coincidence that the Auckland story and the Launceston story both read so similarly. Both disasters, both lack governance and so on.
Both the Launceston museum guy, Filmer Sankey, and the discredited Auckland director Vanda Vitali are on common museum committees (CAMD etc).
The lack of governance, the disconnection with the museum's owners in the community, and the waste of money are too rich for Launceston but not Albert von Zero it seems.
How much did that computer game show thingy at Inveresk cost us?
This was approved on van Zet's watch so I suppose he'll claim the credit for any profits.
How much did this financial power house make for us?
It seems to have escaped your editors attention that there is a previous story about Auckland Museum on this website.
I am talking about this one ... A MUSEUM IN CRISIS _ A Museum At Home With Itself. I wonder if Launceston should be copying or repeating failure anywhere.
There might be something to learn but whatever it is it should be done very quickly before too much is lost.
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