Experience or Interpretation: The Dilemma of Museums of Modern Art

by Nicholas Serota

How do we see art? How is it displayed? One hundred years ago, the way art was shown was intended to educate. Galleries reflected the curator's view at the expense of differing viewpoints. Today, not only do museums and galleries celebrate differences of expression, they welcome the collaboration of living artists, promoting an active dialogue between the present and the past. Museums are no longer just repositories, but rather sites of experience where the mind is often engaged as much as the eye. This is the first coherent account of the changing attitudes to the way art is presented in museums of modern art. Nicholas Serota examines the relationship between the artist, the public, and the curator. He takes us into the artist's studio, itself a paradigm of display, and then on a knowledgeable and wide-ranging international tour of museums, galleries, and installations. With authority and insight, he provides an expert view of the ways we can expect art to be displayed in the twenty-first century. paper ISBN 0-500-55029-8 6-1/4" x 8-1/2"

Genres: Museums

63 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 1997

Reviews

[Nastassja Piletskaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Полезное и ненавязчивое исследование в поле создания экспозиций в музеях современного искусства. Никогда не замечала, но правда — некоторые показывают произведениях contemporary art исторически, то есть от эпохи к эпохе, другие по школам / течениям. А самые смелые и востребованные раскрывают потенциал искусства экспонируя их в слединении с другими авторами.

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πρόκειται για ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον και διεισδυτικό βιβλίο όσον αφορά στη διαμόρφωση του χώρου και στον τρόπο έκθεσης Μουσείων Μοντέρνας Τέχνης, αλλά και στο πώς η ίδια η Μοντέρνα Τέχνη και οι δημιουργοί της, ασκούν επιρροή στον εκθεσιακό σχεδιασμό.

Διαβάζεται καλύτερα... "μονοκοπανιά"!!

[Lilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in snippets rather than in one go, it would be worth reading it again to fully grasp it.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief rumination on the transformation of art museums from "encyclopedic" exhibits of art history toward experiential aesthetic displays. Serota questions how this transformation impacts the didactic purposes of the museum, as well as changes the roles of both curators and visitors. Visitors and curators alike must accept and embrace a form of display that is less linear and more actively focused on moments of individual discovery rather than a well-laid out path through art history. The book is abundantly illustrated with black and white photographs of exhibition layouts and reproductions of artworks.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this short reading, Nicholas Serota (Director of Tate) explains the display concept he would later use for Tate Modern. It is a good summary of innovative display methods employed by modern art museums and galleries that set the trend for what we are experiencing nowadays.

[Mafalda Cardeira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changed my way of thinking art space and production. Really easy to read and comprehend. Highly recommended !