Contemporary Art Institutions in the US

PS1 When Gertrude Stein mused that it is not possible to be both modern and a museum, she foresaw some of the most pressing challenges facing institutions like PS1. Being modern means presenting, and possibly also marketing, contemporary art that has yet to stand the test of time. Curators are prone to the vicissitudes of passing fads, personal biases, and the politics of their interpersonal connections. Because of these challenges, it may become difficult to make value judgments that impinge on the character and brand of the institution.

Yet the classical art market has become insufficient to meet the needs of the contemporary art institution. Coupled with pragmatic concerns like funding, adequate access to resources presents problems that encourage curators and museum directors to think creatively and critically about their collections, whether temporary or permanent. The role of the contemporary art institution has become one of building bridges. Some of the bridges the museum directors erect include connections between the established milieu of art history and the emerging art embedded in contemporary need and aesthetics.

Another bridge is between the world of academic and art historiography on the one hand, and the world of popular culture and consumerism on the other. Other bridges include those between street and "low" arts on the one side, and fine arts on the other. Reluctance or unwillingness to acknowledge the role and function of bridge building may render an art institution irrelevant.

At the risk of fossilizing not only their collections but also their relevance as political and social institutions, directors of contemporary art need to focus more on their audiences, their role in the community, and their potential to engage in and mediate art-related discourse. The contemporary art institution would be best situated to become a leader, rather than passively reacting to trends or to overly conservative outlooks in the community.

It is simply no longer possible to rely on the knowledge of hindsight when making acquisitions, and some acquisitions must be accomplished using methods, theories, and tools that have yet to be used before. This is what will ensure that an institution like PS1 will remain relevant and will contribute to the community.

The art institution's role is to watch for emerging art communities around the globe, incorporate marginal voices into their mix, worry less about market values and fluctuations, and present art as a temporal experience more akin to music than to the outmoded museum engagement. The media used in modern art also warrants a shift in the role of the contemporary institution. Multimedia, media that requires active audience engagement, and media requiring intellectual or cognitive explanation are experiential in nature.

The contemporary institution acts as a bridge between the audience and the artist, as well as between the audience and the artist's subject, message, or theme. In some cases, the director and curator will have special political agendas that are part of the mission statement and vision of their organizations. As all art has a political dimension, such considerations allow the institution to push boundaries, challenge their audiences, and potentially use art to promote social justice. Shifting norms related to art have also challenged directors and curators.