The Museum of Civil Courage and (Dedicated) Art

It is world wide the first of its kind but hopefully not the last... the Austrian Museum of Civil Courage and (Dedicated) Art. Here a short introduction.

The Museum of Civil Courage and Dedicated Art (MUCIAR)

It was in October 2010. Two Austrian artists who had met at a Carinthian symposium (Gailtal Art) for the first time discussed social, economic and political issues on Facebook. One of them: Johannes Angerbauer (Social Gold), the other one Lygia „Gia“ Simetzberger, artist and cultural allrounder.

Somehow their talk lead to the topic of moral (= civil) courage and that this was a virtue that one might soon only admire in the museum.

Since both of them are artists , an entanglement with art as a "Museum of Civil Courage and Dedicated (or Committed) Art" was close.

A couple of days later, the idea was born to create a Museum of Civil Courage. It should be created as a sign that civil courage still exists. It was meant as a growing documentation on civil courage, too (people, communities, books, events and so on).

They worked out a plan in two steps: Step 1 was to establish a web presence of the new museum, step 2 was the create a real museum depending on sufficient support.

The website (bilingual German/English) was meant to be the blueprint of the “real” museum. A documentation in the web can be printed or shown on screens easily and a real museum is manifested. With an additional art exhibition, a performance or a concert the museum would be more attractive to visitors and inspiring for more artists. So the transformation of a “virtual” museum into a “real” one is easy to do.

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The German website was realized within. a few days and has been active since then. The English edition is smaller by far, containing only a a short introduction. The Museum of Civil Courage has an Austrian facebook site, too, with slight differences to the German website. Now to the content.

Content – people, achievements, library, events

A definition of civil courage and other basics were the start. There are extremely different sorts or ways of living civil courage, like an intervention when a person is attacked in a subway station, when someone unveils some truth under suppression, people saving lives of persons being endangered by a totalitarian regime, whistleblowers going public for the benefit of mankind in spite of severe threatenings, writers of “forbidden books”...

In a written concept, clear plans were worked out for the organization and even for an award.

Looking and waiting for support

There were some friendly reactions sporadically but never ever significant support was given neither in speech nor in deeds. Enthusiastic about the project, Lygia Simetzberger went to Vienna for an informative talk with the local culture manager. He was not available for a talk.

The man who represented him appeared quite desperate and nervous and made clear that the city of Vienna was not interested in a Museum of Civil Courage at all - and that there was no money left for it. You can imagine. An initiator just going to Vienna for an informative talk, for some hints, for networking and who declared that she would not ask for financial support or for a location in the capital.

You can interprete this behaviour any way you want.

Another attempt to get support was made many years later. In Austria there is a peace organization (we do not want to mention the full name here). Lygia Simetzbrger, co-founder of the Museum of Civil Courage, had an appointment with the public relations manager. He gave her a warm welcome with coffee and information material. But when this friendly man heard the proposal that "his" renowned institute could have this whole Museum of Civil Courage idea transferred to "his" institute for free, he turned pale and the conversation was finished. MUCIAR would have fit perfectly to the ideas and goals of this institute and it was really hard to understand what was the reason for this behaviour.

MUZIKU/MUCIAR lives

The museum (English abbreviation MUCIAR, German abbreviation MUZIKU) is still alive but half asleep. It lives the live of a pioneer having been too early by far. The institute has found a retreat in a farmhouse in the countryside. It's ´ the house where one of the founders lives.

Was this institution simply too early in time to be appreciated? Was this the true reason?

Has the right time come now?

This peace project might be a victim of fear, as well. Whose fear?

It is up to the reader to guess who would fear the existence of a neutral Museum of Civil Courage...

Spread the idea, make use of it, shout it out loud...

If you think it is a good thing to run a Museum of Civil Courage (or maybe many of them in different parts of the world), please spread the idea, spread this article or leave us suggestions how this project can be promoted in a better way. It is never to late to make a greater reality out of it. But ideas like this one needsmany of us and all sorts of support to come really true.

English https://muciar.wordpress.com/
Deutsch https://muzikublog.wordpress.com
https://muzikugalerie.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muzikumuseum/