The Politics of Collecting: Race and the Aestheticization of Property

by Eunsong Kim

In The Politics of Collecting, Eunsong Kim traces how racial capitalism and colonialism situated the rise of US museum collections and conceptual art forms. Investigating historical legal and property claims, she argues that regimes of expropriation—rather than merit or good taste—are responsible for popular ideas of formal innovation and artistic genius. In doing so, she details how Marcel Duchamp’s canonization has more to do with his patron’s donations to museums than it does the quality of Duchamp’s work, and she uncovers the racialized and financialized logic behind the Archive of New Poetry’s collecting practices. Ranging from the conception of philanthropy devised by the robber barons of the late nineteenth century to ongoing digitization projects, Kim provides a new history of contemporary art that accounts for the complicated entanglement of race, capital, and labor behind storied art institutions and artists. Drawing on history, theory, and economics, Kim challenges received notions of artistic success and talent and calls for a new vision of art beyond the cultural institution.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Politics, Museums, Theory

418 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2024

Reviews

[玉麒麟 · Rating 4 out of 5]

no review for this one. honestly only read it because of shannon kim’s video that i thought was quite interesting and wanted to learn more.

[nini · Rating 5 out of 5]

how can we but remember ? absolute phenomena of history written in very modern context - there is not a day in the field that we can separate a step from colonialism and capitalism - this book, while dense, keeps you learning and engaged bringing new insight into fascinating truths that we knew but may-haps not the whole story, some i didn’t know at all ! i will hope to pick this up again soon i am already incorporating it in my work ; i wish i could say more about but just a great view of contemporary art need more — 🎱

[Aurelia Littlepage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me forever to read bc it is a bit dense but it was so interesting! A must read for art history students who want to work in archives or a museum. It made me think about how I want to approach my career and examine my own bias. Very insightful with many compelling examples.

[Shannon Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

“By creating and then elevating the ‘idea’ of the artwork and insisting on the separation of the idea from its material form, the avant-garde reified the hierarchies pivotal to the transition from aristocracy to meritocracy. Those who partake in the celebration of this ‘new’ form of the idea—be it wealthy collectors, art historians, poets, or artists—do so through their prioritization of abstract thought as the most sacred aesthetic prioritization, a notion dependent on redivisions of labor, which was actualities through the standardization of exploitation.”
such a necessary read for all art enthusiasts/artists/people interested in working for the arts sector☝️

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through her well researched and witty text, Eunsong Kim unpacks the connection between aesthetics and finance.

As a museum professional, her narrative hits close to home. She recounts the dark history between wealth accumulation and personal collecting and how the “progressive” ideals of philanthropy make museums complicit in racial capitalism and settler colonialism.

Not a light read but one that complicates and entangles an already complex subject. Essential reading for museum studies.

[Manuel Abreu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relentless materialist deflation of western art. I really like the chapter on Duchamp, segregation, the Arensbergs, Noah Purifoy. Worth reading slowly, diving into the rabbit holes of its source material. Good!