Red Cross museum plans overhaul to reflect modern reality

Apr 22, 2010, 11:39 GMT

Geneva - The International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent announced Thursday plans to massively overhaul the permanent exhibition in an effort to update the display and have it reflect modern humanitarian realities.

A new design concept will evolve the museum from an idea focused on the history of the Red Cross, founded in 1859, to one that uses the past to better illustrate the changes over the years, museum director Roger Mayou said in Geneva.

Three themes would dominate the new permanent exhibition, each to be designed by a different artist from three continents.

'The defense of humanity' section would be created by the Brazilian Gringo Cardia; Francis Kere of Burkina Faso would focus on the part dedicated to 'reconstructing the family link;' and the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban would work on the 'refusing fatality' area.

The total cost would reach some 12 million Swiss francs (11.2 million dollars) and would mostly come from private funds, including major local companies.

Among the items on display are the Geneva Conventions and a large room filled with files of prisoners of war from World War I.

Interactive exhibitions, which will confront the visitor with the past and the present are among the new ideas planned for the museum. Special areas will be dedicated for temporary exhibitions and ones focused on current events.

Currently, the museum is showing a temporary exhibit on 'Humanity in War,' which includes around three dozen photographs largely reflecting the human tragedy embedded in armed conflict.

The construction on the overhaul will begin in the summer of 2011 and the museum will be closed from then until the autumn of 2012.