Auxiliary collections as active collections: the case of Estonia

Abstract

This article explores a recent trend in Estonian museums – the increase in the auxiliary collections against the background of the general slowdown in the development of the main collections. The article demonstrates that the rise of auxiliary collections occurred because of the tension between the regime of eternal preservation supported by the national heritage practice and the new museum practice of active collections implemented by the museums. Based on a study of 20 state-administered museums, the article examines the ambivalent status of the auxiliary collection by juxtaposing its legal and practice-based conceptualisations. The article will demonstrate that auxiliary collections confer on museums the necessary buffer zone to navigate the state’s regulations and the lack of resources. In the context of the eternal preservation regime, an auxiliary collection is a liminal collection waiting to be made meaningful by administrative, curatorial, and preservation processes. However, auxiliary collections tend to dominate exhibitions and programs that understand heritage as emerging through active co-creation and sensory engagement. The rise of the significance of auxiliary collections can be anticipated vis-à-vis the national heritage repository plans as they offer solution for museums to maintain their relevance in the local communities.