Battle for the Museum: Cultural Institutions in Crisis

by Rachel Spence

Culture and power have been bedfellows since ancient times. But now, more than ever, exhibits and the organizations responsible for them have become part of our troubled politics. Protests force out problematic patrons and curators, and pressure museums to abandon fossil fuel sponsorship. Campaigners demand equality and diversity, and condemn exploitation, of artists and staff alike. Those confronting racism and imperial legacies call for restitution of cultural objects.

Arts journalist Rachel Spence has watched these institutions become a flashpoint for today's social divisions. She interviews those on the frontlines, from artists and activists to directors and donors, revealing stories of elitism, inequality and injustice. Business and finance launder their reputations through art fair and museum patronage, while governments bolster their authority by weaponizing or attacking the arts-and ordinary museumgoers mobilize to demand better. How did we get here, and what lies ahead for these institutions?

From China and Russia to Cuba and New York, from the British Museum and the Louvre to the Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi, Battle for the Museum uncovers a dark nexus of capital, culture and power-and a radical shift in attitudes, driven by resistance movements fighting fiercely for exhibition spaces that serve today's public.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Aurelia Littlepage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a shot every time she says planet art lol.

I enjoyed this book a lot! The author is a journalist and that is very obvious in the structure of this book. Each section is like a mini article, which makes the book perfect for a subway ride, but too dense to for a binge read imo. Super informative, and def made my love hate relationship with museums even stronger.

The ending is not life changing, we all know that capitalism is failing us and the climate crisis is destroying our earth. But I really appreciated the post script on Palestine, it was definitely needed.

[Cloé St-Cyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belle introduction aux dissonances et contradictions qui animent « planet art » et les institutions museales. Pour les informés, le contenu semblait souvent remâché, la formule journalistique se prêtant moins a un essai de cette longueur, avec répétions contantes et rien de vraiment nouveau.

[Katie Benoliel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also such a pertinent book. I thought it would be more similar to memory and politics within the institutions but it is very much related to public opinion and capitalism in museums and as well as the influence of elite wealth with the supposed public culture presented by these institutions. I was engaged quite literally the entire time, it was like one giant expose. I particularly enjoyed her postscript for Palestine.