Museums are going through a major shift, hit by the blows of the pandemic, by questions being asked about the source of donors’ money (the Sackler family name has been removed from museums around the world), as well as by various protestors who think throwing soup at artworks will garner support for their cause.
In their earliest days, the world’s great museums were about bringing the world of knowledge under one roof. The “museum of everything” emerged from the same enlightenment culture that gave us the value of the liberal arts, and the result was institutions like the British Museum and the Smithsonian, holding artefacts from every corner of the globe.
In addition to holding the world in one place, with the increase of tourism in the twentieth century, major museums became destinations for the world, as foreign tourists make up a large percentage of visitors at any such venue. (For better or for worse, the “must see” aspect means a 10-deep throng taking selfies in front of the Mona Lisa). Yet today’s museums are uneasy with their past, and are facing questions about items in their collections in the present.
Read Full Article »