Recently an online project called ‘FAAM’ was launched at a press conference in the East Flemish town of Dendermonde. The aim is that in time FAAM will grow to become an online museum that tells the story of Flemish history. FAAM will be developed by as a website and as an app.
When the current Flemish Government took office in 2019 the coalition agreement stated that during the legislature the coalition government would explore various avenues with a view to the setting up of a museum of Flemish history and culture. The first concrete steps towards this would be taken before the end of the legislature.
A traditional museum with exhibits housed in a building rather than on a website was dismissed by other museums. They weren’t prepared to lend out any of their top exhibits anyway. It become clear that there wasn’t any need for a physical museum built of bricks and mortar and the Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (nationalist) dropped the idea, instead opting for an online platform (currently only available in Dutch) bringing together the best of Flemish culture and the most important elements of Flemish history.
At the launch of FAAM Mr Jambon said that "All over the world you find museums of the history or culture of a particular country or region”.
"But if you start a museum like that you need to either build or buy a building and also above all you have to take exhibits from other museum’s collections. Museums weren’t really happy to cooperate. So, we said this is the 21st century, lets set up a virtual museum.
The idea of a virtual museum enjoyed greater support and cooperation from the heritage sector. Those behind FAAM say that it includes more than could possibly be housed within the walls of a traditional museum.
In the initial version of the app, you can brows through the rich selection of art and heritage that is available at museums and heritage sites in Flanders. The interactive app also allows those that use it to find out more about the collections in the museum that they are visiting. The website is structured thematically and had section on topics such as living, working, eating and drinking.
Well-known exhibits and hidden gems
It wasn’t by change that FAAM was launched in Dendermonde. Dendermonde was chosen so as to highlight the fact that FAAM isn’t only about well-known pieces that are exhibited in big museums, but also about art and heritage that is less well-known to the public at large.
For example, you can use the FAAM app to bring the mammoth that is exhibited in the Vleeshuismuseum in Dendermonde to life thanks to augmented reality technology.
A first step towards a real museum?
The initial version of the digital project cost around 3 million euro. The question remains as to whether a physical 'Museum of Flanders' will ever come to fruition. Mr Jambon told VRT News that "You can’t rule anything out. But a physical museum is always more limited in the possibilities it offers than a virtual one. Actually, it’s the case that all the museums in Flanders combined are our museum of culture and history. With this app we have brought them together in one location”