The Curator as Arts Administrator ? Comments on Harald Szeemann and the Exhibition "When Attitudes Become Form"

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

In one of the first German language publications on arts management (the Baden-Baden Kunstgespräche, or Art Talks, from 1959) the question was discussed, "Is modern art managed?" The critics implied that the supposed managers of art had "managed" the introduction and dominance of "abstract art" in Germany, which was equivalent to saying that the commercial interests in the art trade had led the managers to offer only this kind of art (in this case, it was Tachisme) in the market, and particularly to have it shown in art institutions. That at any rate was the thesis put forward, for example, at the documenta II by Hans Sedlmayr, who was one of the best known German art critics in the 1950s and a prominent opponent of modernism (cf. Sedlmayr 2006). Among those who rejected this thesis were Theodor W. Adorno, Max Bense, and Daniel Henry Kahnweiler. They argued that before art is sold in the marketplace there is the nonmarket related activity of the artist, focused exclusively on questions internal to art, and that this moment is not endangered by management.In order to simplify this topic somewhat, which from today's perspective seems quite complex, I would like to ask: "Is modern art managed by curators?" And to further restrict the topic, I would like to concentrate on the specific historical constellation around the year 1969. But first, if we are going to be able to judge whether curators manage art, a few comments need to be made on the use of the term "arts administrator".

Original languageEnglish
JournalThe Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society
Volume40
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)27-42
Number of pages16
ISSN1063-2921
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.03.2010

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Geplagter Hiob
  2. Islam and Patriarchy
  3. Individuelle Beteiligung am Unterrichtsgespräch in Grundschulklassen
  4. Gene tests and employees in an international comparison.
  5. In a no-win situation
  6. Andocken
  7. Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention im Setting Schule
  8. Does online availability increase citations?
  9. Response to comment on "Screening criteria for long-range transport potential of organic substances in water"
  10. Reversible formation of alcohol solvates and their potential use for heat storage
  11. »ein Gespräch, an dem wir würgen«. Celan und Heidegger
  12. Öffentliche Beschaffung nachhaltig gestalten
  13. Open to Offers, but Resisting Requests
  14. European COMPARative Effectiveness research on blended Depression treatment versus treatment-as-usual (E-COMPARED): Study protocol for a randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial in eight European countries
  15. I am medial!
  16. Mindset-Oriented Negotiation Training (MONT)
  17. Life expectancy, family constellation and stress in giant mole-rats (Fukomys mechowii)
  18. A Leverage Points Perspective on Sustainability
  19. Hybrid Regionalism in Africa Towards a Theory of African Union Interventions
  20. "Wie getrennt zusammenleben?
  21. Mental contrasting and energization transfer to low-expectancy tasks
  22. Mexican school students’ perceptions of inclusion
  23. Umweltgerichte in China
  24. § 846 Mitverschulden des Verletzten
  25. Games People (Don’t) Play
  26. Zwischen Methodenpluralismus und Datenhandel
  27. Das Bildungssystem in den 1990er Jahren. Am Beginn einer Zeitenwende
  28. Nachhaltigkeitskompetenzen in Unternehmen und Organisationen
  29. A guide to the Harry Potter novels
  30. Sustainability Accounting and Reporting
  31. Prioritize grassland restoration to bend the curve of biodiversity loss
  32. Organisation fur wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (OECD)
  33. The impact of chief executive officer narcissism on environmental, social, and governance reporting
  34. Basic financial accounting terminology