The Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM) website was launched on 13 September 2007 in Gyeonggi Provincial Museum, Yongin City, South Korea. This event was co-organised by Asia-Europe Foundation, the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum and Asia-Europe Museum (ASEMUS) Network.

As part of one of Asia-Europe Museum (ASEMUS) network pilot projects, Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM) is a web-based selection of images and accompanying information on Asian masterpieces from Asian and European museums. With around 1,000 masterpieces contributed by over 50 leading museums in Asia and Europe, VCM is a one-click-away tool to connect cultures that can inspire people from around the globe to understand and appreciate Asian heritage as well as the strong relationship between Asia and Europe.

Led by National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden (The Netherlands) and Gyeonggi Provincial Museum (Korea), VCM provides easy access of this information for both the general public and professional alike. The website triggers questions of the definition of a masterpiece: every participating museum explains why its masterpieces are considered as such.

The website also provides new tools which can be used for various educational activities. It offers a unique virtual working and meeting place for museum professionals, a platform for collaboration and co-operation between the museums from both regions, and a virtual showcase of Asia-Europe museum network in cyberspace.

The grand launch was organised to immediately precede the ASEMUS General Conference on 14 and 15 September 2007. The meeting gathered over 40 prominent museum professionals from 25 countries, both from current ASEMUS membership as well as from museums in the extended group of ASEM countries. The meeting aimed at gathering old and new members of ASEMUS in order to review the development and chart future plans for the network and to get a new membership from non-ASEMUS member.

The meeting served successfully as networking opportunity and therefore, enhanced international co-operation and sharing professional competence.

For more information on ASEMUS, visit www.asemus.museum or contact Mr. Karl Magnusson at karl.magnusson@smvk.se

For VCM, please contact Mr. Manus Brinkman (VCM Content Editor) at manus@csloxinfo.com