European Museum Forum - Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Fabiola of Belgium

Kenneth Hudson

The most prominent personality on the European museum scene died on December 28th 1999, at the age of 83.
He was not a museum professional, but he approached the museum world as a public educator and devoted a long life as a spokesman for the museum visitor, the visitor as the real raison d'être of the museum. He was an ardent critic when facing stupidity, negligence and snobbishness in the museum profession.
Keeping a tireless inquisitive eye on the surrounding world he however expected the same curiosity and thirst for learning in a public worthy of a museum.
Such was his claim on the visitor.
He refrained from attaching himself to institutional structures, although he from time to time assisted ICOM and UNESCO - he manifested his independence by initiating the European Museum of the Year Award and the European Museum Forum, both aimed at stimulating the international interchange of ideas and creating networks of inspiration.
The immense importance of dialogue and conversation was his basic creed.