Casa Batlló, Chillida Leku d'Hernani and L'ETNO Valencian Museum of Ethnology candidates for the EMYA awards

Representatives of 33 museums from 19 European countries celebrate from May 3rd until May 6th the meeting of the European Museum Forum (EMF), the body that promotes the EMYA awards (European Museum of the Year Award) for the best European museum of the year. The verdict will be announced tomorrow and among the finalist museums are Casa Batlló, the Chillida Leku d'Hernani museum and L'ETNO Valencian Museum of Ethnology. This prize has been awarded since 1977 and is an instrument to specifically assess changes, innovations and trends in the world of museums. As for the EMF conference, it consists of debates, conferences, workshops and visits where all the finalist museums participate, as well as winners of past editions.

This year, the jury nominated 33 museums from 19 European countries that submitted their candidacy. The essence of the award is to recognize a significant innovation (it must affect 80% of its services and/or facilities in pre-existing museums) that has to do with "European, social, humanitarian and democratic values" in a sense wide.

"It is not an award for the best museum, but every year the same candidates would present themselves", Jette Sandahl, president of the EMF and founder of the Women's Museum of Denmark, wanted to point out this Friday.

Over the last decade environmental awareness, proposals relating to sustainability and also social justice have become more important, sometimes central, for museums. This is how Sandahl described it: "Museums used to live in the past or in an ivory tower, but that is starting to change," he observed, on the eve of the verdict that will be announced tomorrow evening at a gala in the Sea Market.

"They don't necessarily have to be big museums, we accept all kinds of projects and from different countries," said Amina Krvavac, president of the jury and executive director of the Museum of Childhood and War in Sarajevo (Bosnia Herzegovina). Last year, the winner was the 'Museum of the Mind', from Haarlem (Netherlands), dedicated to psychiatry.

After a year of visits and work with the aspiring museums, tomorrow the winner of the main prize, the Council of Europe's prize for the best museum, and also a series of smaller and specific awards and distinctions on innovations for them will be announced 33 applicants.

The MUHBA, host

The EMYA Awards (European Museum of the Year Award) aim to stimulate the international exchange of ideas and create new networks of collaboration and inspiration between the participating institutions. For this reason, the Awards are accompanied by a program of debates, conferences, workshops and visits, in which all the finalist museums participate, as well as winners of past editions.

This year the conference is held in Barcelona, with the city's History Museum as host. Its director, Joan Roca, has publicly thanked the Consistory and ICUB for their support and their contribution to making the Catalan capital "the capital of museums" for a few days.