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    An essay about museums

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    9 views4 pages

    Hans Haacke - Museums, Managers of Consciousness

    Uploaded by

    Tom Williams
    An essay about museums

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    1034 eee ane Hacks, hop a Manat Re Bats Holi, Roane Saal Sa, of Map a71 fea hoqeoph and axes, fo7t- 8 Han aaa By permision fhe ay proceses—tanstes of energy, mater or information—evolve without the viewer’ empathy In works conceived fr audience participation the viewer might be ce ousee of energy, or hit mere presence might berequited. Thee eal “seulpure” systems which Sencton when thee ‘smo viewer at all In neither case, however, has che viewer's emotional, perceptual oe ial Jectual response any influence on the syste behaviour Such independence doesnot permit him o assume his teadiconal ole being the maser of he sculpruzes programme (meaning), rather the viewer now becomes a witnes, A system ¢ nat imagined ies el Museums, Managers of Consciousness (1986) ‘The are world st. whole, and museums in particular, belong to what as apy been called the “consclouses industry” Mare than wenty Yeats ago, the Geeesan writer Hat Mages En enuberger gave us sme insight nto the natote of thie industry in an article which used that pirase a tile, Although he didnot spesifically elaborate onthe art word, his rile di ‘elarto tin passing eseems worthwhile hereto extrapolate from and ¢o expand ypon Enzens- berger thought fora dtcusion ofthe roe mies and other et-exhitting institations play Tike Enzensberger, [believe the ute ofthe ecm “industry” forte entire ange of activi- tes of those who ate employed oe working on a Feelznce basin the art ld ha a salary fleet, With one stroke thot term cuts through the romantic clouds char envelop the often risleading nd mythical nedions widely held about the prodsction, diatibuton, and can sumption of are Artis, as muchas galeries, moseums, and journalists (oe excluding att historian esate discus che industrial anpec of deiractiviies. An unequivocal acknowl eigmene might endanger the cherthed romantic ideas with which most art world perticipans ‘enter the field, and which sill susain thems emotionally today. Supplanting che srdiional bohemisn image of the at work with that af business operation could alo negatively affect, the markebity ofits produetsandinerfere wth fondrisngefots. Thote who in fc pln ‘ana execute indusval strategies tend, wheter by inclination or need, ro mystify ar and ‘conceal is indasral aspects and ofen fal for their own propaganda. Given the prevalent _markeesblit ofmyths, emay sound almost scrilegious to insist on using dhe erm "industey.” (On the other hand, new bree hat recently appeared on the industrial ndscape: the arts managers. Trained by prestigions basiness schools, hey are convinced thc at cau and should ‘be managed like the production aed marketing of other goods. They make no apologies and have few romantic hang-ups. They do not blah in asssing the receptivity and potential evelopment of n audience for ter prodact, AS 2 natural pare oftheir education, they are thes pets in ether industry, chey prepare budgets and development plane and presene chen {or approval to their respective publi supervising bodies and funding agencies. The staging fn intersational exhibition such as Biennale ora Documenta presents tnajor managerial challenge with repercussions not ony for what is being managed, but also forthe frure caret ofthe exeeutive in charge ‘Responding co a realistic aprssl of thet lot, even artists are now acqiring managerial tzaningin workshops funded by public agencies in the United States, Such sesions are sr ally well ended, as arts recognize thatthe managerial kills For onning a sal busines, ‘could have bearing on thie own survival. Some of the more suecessal arts employ eheie ‘own business managers. As for art dees, ¢ goes without saying that they ate engaged in runningbusineses. The success oftheir encerprses and the fatate ofthe aris i heir stables ‘obviously depend a great deal on theic managerial skills. They are assed by paid advisors, ‘ecountants, lsvyess, and public lations agents. ln eur, collectors oftan do thee collecting with the astitance ofa paid aft Acleastin passing. should mention chat numerous other industries depend on the economic wiality of he at branch of the consciousness inustey, Ars administrators do not exaggerate when shey defend ther aims for public support by pointing to the number of jobs that are sMfecad nor only in their own instivtions, bucabo in communications and, persiculaly, ia 126 ——=LANGUAGE AND CONCEPTS | | the hotel and restasant industries... [T]he discomfort i applying industil nomenclatare co works of art may also have to do with the fact thc these product are ne entirely physical ‘nnatore.Alchough tensmite in ne material form or another, they are developed in and by consciousness and have meaning only for another conscouines. In addition, ii possible toargue over the extent to which the physical object determines the manner in which the seceivesdocodes it. Such incarpretive work isn ten a produet of conseiouines, performed tstisby each viewer bat potentially sable ifundertaken by curators, historians, cities, ap prabers, aches, ez. The hesitancy co se industrial concepss and language ein probably also be atibuted to our lingering idealist tradition, which ascites such work widh the "sping" 2 wee with vigious overones and one that indistet the avoidance of mundane considerations ‘The tax auhoriis, however, have no compunetion in atessng she income derived from the “spiritual” activites. Conversely, the taxpayers so flected do ot shy away fom deduet- {ng slecant busines expense. They normally protest against tax rings which declare heit ‘work co be nothing but a hobby. of to put it im Kantian terms, dhe pursuit af "disinereted pleasure,” Economiss consider the consciousness industry as par ofthe ever-growing service sector and include i382 mater ofcourse in the computation ofthe grow national product, ‘The product of the consciousness indsstry, however, isnot only elusive because of its seemingly nonsecular nature and its aspect of intangbity. Mere disconcerting, perhaps, it he Far that we do not even toealy command oot individual consciousness. Ar Kacl Mac observed in The German elegy, consciousness ia social product Ii, in Fact, not o private property, homegrown anda home tortie to, tithe esl of collective histories endeavor, embeded in and electing particu value systems, aspirations, aud goals. And chee do not boy any means represent the imteress of everybovly. Nor are we dealing with a universally accepted body of knowledge or belie. Word has gotten around that material conditions and ‘he ideological context in which n ndividval grows up and lives determine to a considerable extent his or her consciousness. As has been poiated out (and noe anly by Marste voi scientists and psychologist), consciousness isnot pure, independent, value-fee ent, eval agaccording to inten, elsufiine sd universal als. ei contingent, an open syste, ‘esponible to che costrent ofthe envionment, Is, in fat abateground of conicing Jueves. Cortespondingly, the products af consciousness represent interests nd interpreti= tions ofthe wood chat are potentialy ac odds with each other. The products ofthe means of production like those means henslves, are not neutral As they wereshaped hy thei repec- tive envitonments and social relations, so do they in urn influence ovr view ofthe human condition. arent wel wisn» gate the rc We sa foc tte cons poy esd ol fy lng ahha ms Tconenpryiyanendusnd vate ofan te Sones em i my tet shy commit an esp the ton tn Wok pra toa af ion bond alr ht cea ae sve, on wa forse tesa tine psi deee nee pl ems Cricut sai pc wer nga Grote fhe perth dr mas teehee Dui npor co engi th cle cpt a een oot dae and wang ar senses commune. Goal bia ay i wana bcs of Wests Ui Rance soe wer on thar messes ae seceived ina garbled, dizored forms they may even rela the opposite ‘of what was intended (not to mention the kins of creative confusion and mudde-headedness that ean accompany the are work's production) To compound these problems dhexe ate che boreal contingencies of the codes nd the unavoidable biases of those who decipher them. ‘Wit so many vaeabls, heres ample room fr exegesis and a lvlihood is ths guaranteed for many workers in the consciousness industry. [Although the product under discussion appears to be quite slippery it by no means in- consequential, a eltoral Fnexonaris feom Moscow to Washington make clear every day. Tei recognized in both capitals that not only che mass media deserve monitoring, But ako thote activities which are normally relegated to special sections a the back of newspapers ‘The New Yok Tine calls te weekend section “Arts and Leisure” and covers under this head ing theater, dance, lm, ar, namismate, gardening, and other oxtenstbly harmless activities. ‘Other papers carry thee items under equally innocuous tiles, soc as “culture,” “enertain~ men,” or “Ifrtgle" Why should governments, and for chat mater corporations which 2 not themselvesin the communications industry, pay attention to sich seeming trivia? {dink they doo for good reason, They have wndertood, sometimes hot than che people who ‘ork inthe leisure sits of culture, chat che term “culture” camouflages the social and po litical consequences rsuking from the india distribution ofconseousnes. “The channeling of consciousness is pervasive not only under dictatorships, but ao i liberal societies, To make such an aertion may round outrageous beease according 10 popilac myty Hera rgimes do at behave thie way, Sach an asterton cou alo be mit lundeetood ata atenapeto downplay che Bray with which mainstream conductisenforced intotaltarian regimes, or ata chim tha coercion ofthe same viciousnesispractced elsewhere 24 well. iy monica societies, the induction into and the maintenance ofa parecular ‘way of thinking and seeing must be performed with subtlety in order to succeed. Staying ‘within dhe accepable range of divergent views mast be perceived athe natural thing t0 do. ‘Within theart world, museumsand other inition that stage exhibitions play an important role in the incleation oF opinions and atcitades. Indeed, they usually present chemselves as ‘educational opganizations and consider edition ae one of their primary responsibilities, [Naturally museums work in the vineyards of consciousness. To state that obvious ft, how ever is nota accusation of deviowscondc, An ineitution’intelleeval nd moral position becomertensous ony fe claims to be fee ofideological bias. And such an istittion should be challenged i'r refuses o acknowledge tha it operates under constraints deriving from itt soacces offing and from the authority to which t repos is pothape aot surpising thie sany museums indignanty reject the notion tha they provide a biased view of the works in thei custody. Indeed, museums usually clam to sub~ scribe to che canons of impazsial scholarship. As honorable sack an endeavor isan ic is stills vali goal to strive fr—itsffers rom idealist delusions about the nonpartisan character ‘of cousciousnes. A cherericl prop fortis worthy but untenable position edhe sineenth= ‘century doctrine ofa fr sr sake. That doctrine hasan avant-gerde historical veneer and in its cme did indeed perform + liberating role, Even today, in countries where aris are openly complied to serve prescribed policies, stil hus an emanciparory sing. The gospel fart for ae sake isolates art and postulates its sesufciency, as far hd or followed rales ‘which are impervious co he socilenvizonmnent. Adhereuts ofthe doceine believe that art. {does not and should no elect the squabbles ofthe day. Obviously they are mistaken in thei ssoumprion that prodact of eoasciousuess can be created in isolation, Thole stance and what 1028 LANGUAGE AND cONEEFrS | is czafted under is auspies have noe only theoretical but also definite socal implications American formalism updated the doctrine ad asociated ie with che politcal concepts of the "Ge world” snd individualism. Under Clement Greenberg's tteage, everything chat made ‘worldly references wassimply excommunicate from arts at shield the Grail of taste from ‘contanination. What began as beating drive tuned ino is eppesite, The doctrine now provides museums with an alibi or ignoring the ideological aspects of at works and che ‘equally ideological implications ofthe way those works are presented co the public, Whether sich neutralizing i performed with deliberation or merely out of habit r lack of esources isierlevane: practiced over many yeas it constitutes 2 powerful form of indoctrination [Every museum is perforce a politcal instution, no matter whether it privately ron or ‘maintained and supervised by governmental agencies... During the pst tent yeas, the power ations between ar intttions and their sources of Foding have become more com plex. Museums have co be maintained ether by public agencies—the tadition in Europe— ‘or trough donations fom private individual and philanhopi organieations, a has been ‘he pate inthe United States. When Congres sable the National Endowment forthe ‘Assi 196s, U.S. mtcume grned an additonal ource of funding, Inaseepting public grams, ‘however, they bcame accountable—oven ifn peactice only toa limited degees—to gover mene agencies Some poblic museums in Europe went the road of ited supose, too, ldhough in the op posite direction. Private donors came on board with acractive collections Ashasbeen custom sry inUS. museums, however, some of dese donors demanded spat in poley making. Seating on a lage scale towards the end ofthe 1960s in the United States and expanding sapldly over since, corporate funding has spread during the lat five years to Britain andthe ‘Continent. Ambitious exhibition programs that could not be financed through traditional source ed museums to var co corporations for suppor. The ge, more hvily sppointed these shows and their extalogues bcame, however, the more glamotr the audiences began to ‘expect. Inan ever advancing spiral the public was made to believe that only Hollywood: syle ‘extravaganza were worth sesing and tha onl they cauld give an accurate sense ofthe world ‘fart, The resulsingbox-office presre made the maseumsstill more dependent on corporite funding, Then ime the ecesion ofthe 1970s

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