Chair of ICOM MPR (2019-2022)

Dr. Matthias Henkel M.A.

I am a cultural historian and archaeologist with many years of operational museum and management experience and a focused eye on content-based, strategic, visitor-centred and brand-oriented development of museums and cultural institutions.

  • As Spokesman for the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, I have learned to think and act across departments.
  • As the Head of PR, Communications and Sponsoring at the General Directory of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the particular challenge was to enable strategic, contenbased and brand-oriented communication for a total of 17 individual institutions under the umbrella of the Directorate-General.
  • As the Head of PR of the Task Force „Schwabing Art Trove“ I have learned how complicated it is to reconcile all the historical, criminal, moral and legal aspects of art in exploring its provenance – especially when it comes to persecution-related withdrawal during the Nazi-Era.
  • As Director-General of the Nuremberg City Museums – a network of seven museums, three collections and two historical sites – the challenge was to combine management of the business, dramaturgy of the program and holistic profiling in the museum landscape with the support of city marketing.

Today I work as an academic teacher and consultant. Currently I have teaching assignments at universities in Germany, Austria and China.

I have been a member of the board of ICOM Germany – temporarily as deputy of the president. Since 2016 I am a member of the board of ICOM MPR. In September 2019 I was elected chairman of ICOM MPR in Kyoto. Together with Peter Stohler I will organize the next ICOM MPR conference: “Narratives. Long story short.” (21-25 September 2020 Kassel/Berlin in Germany) – see you in Kassel!

My Vision as Chair of ICOM MPR

I will encourage all ICOM-MPR board members to commit to work – together with the officers as a team to:

  • make the profile of ICOM-MPR and the profession within the ICOM infrastructure more relevant
  • explore how more ICOM-MPR members can be involved in the work of the committee, especially in the regions where they work and live
  • inspire and engage more museums marketing and communications professionals from more regions of the world in the work of ICOM-MPR
  • offer annual conferences, as well as digital communications and workshops to enhance networking, professional effectiveness, development, and opportunities

And last but not least I want to build a conceptional bridge between the communication, the curatorial staff and the educational department to make the MUSEUM a COMMUNISEUM… that’s my personal understanding of Audience Development 2.0.

 

Keep in touch:

MAIL icom[at]matthiashenkel.org
TWITTER @Henkel_Matthias