There appears to be a new "cancel culture" being applied to art galleries
and museums.
Incidents and events promoting change
Last week the Museum of Modern Art in New York became the target of a group who want to protest about the influence of very rich people on the systems and values of art museums.
Specifically
the Strike MOMA campaign
were upset about a number of aspects - including:
-
the existence of MOMA as a monument to the acquisition by the wealthy few at
the expense of the dispossessed
- the fact that the Museum had allegedly said nothing about the financial ties between (the recently replaced) Leon Black, Chair of the Board of MOMA and Jeffrey Epstein
- alleged ties between specific board members and systems of power and exclusion
-
disparities in the way employees are treated and the huge differentials
between those at the top and those at the frontline
A protest took place and people got hurt - on both sides.
I think it's safe to say this might be a recurrent theme for many art
galleries and museums in the future
The museum, citing safety concerns, closed its doors to the protesters who say MoMA caters too much to the interests of its wealthy donors. (New York Times)
 |
| The doors of the Museum of Modern Art when they reopened - on 21st October 2019 (the day after I flew out!) following a very extensive extension and refurbishment of MOMA to create a reimagined presentation of modern and contemporary art. |
This is what MOMA has to say about itself
At The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1, we celebrate creativity, openness, tolerance, and generosity. We aim to be inclusive places—both onsite and online—where diverse cultural, artistic, social, and political positions are welcome. We’re committed to sharing the most thought-provoking modern and contemporary art, and hope you will join us in exploring the art, ideas, and issues of our time. MOMA - About us
My view
Is rejecting philanthropy and insisting that public collections
should be oriented towards social justice the best way forward for all
major art galleries and museums?
My views on this topic are as follows
