campusletmehear

WWW.
ARTEMUNDI.
COM1Don'tBelieveEverythingYouHear…RealEyesRealizeRealLies1OnWednesday,April20th2016,TheFLAGArtFoundationhostedaconversationbetweenartistJeffKoonsandFLAGfounderGlennFuhrman.
Artemundi'sCEOJavierLumbreraswasinvitedandparticipatedinthediscussioncenteredonthecontemporaryart'stheocratictemper.
ItiswidelyknownthatKoonsturnsbanalobjectsintohigharticonsaspartofhissarcasticmodusoperandi,whichinfacttriflesonthealmost-sacredcharacterthathasbeendevelopedbythecontemporaryartfollowers.
DespitehowmuchcoevalKoons'practiceis,itstillborrowswidelyfromart-historicaltechniquesandstyles;althoughoftenseenasironicortongue-in-cheek,Koonsartworksareearnestandoptimistic.
WhenKoonswasaskedifhehadsufferedinhislife(asifartistshadtosufferinordertocreaterelevantworks),hisanswerwas"Notreally".
Hediddiscernhowsomepeopleareoftenempoweredfromnegativity,speciallythepress.
Itisourbelieftofocusonthepositiveandnotonlytodegradethepast.
Thisproactivefeelinghasnotbeensharedwithsomemediaplayers,whoinsteadofbeingforthcomingandpositive,theydocherrypickingwiththenegativeperspective.
Theybelievethatthepessimisticattitudebestowsanadvantageformitsdestructivepower.
AnexampleofthisistheNewYorkTimes'articletitled:"2Art1QuotefromTupacShakurWWW.
ARTEMUNDI.
COM2Worlds:FlushMoMA,StrugglingMet"writtenbyRobinPogrebinandPublishedonApril21st,20162.
TheoriginalpurposeofthisarticlewastoentailthesharpcontrastoftheeconomicsituationsbetweentheMetropolitanMuseumofArtandtheMoMA.
Ononeside–thecontemporaryandfancyone-,theMoMAhasjustreceiveda$100millionUSDdonationbyDavidGeffen,theepitomeofthenewrichstereotypewithaprestige-purchasingpathology.
3Ontheotherside,thewriterassumesthattheMetisatimebombfullof"ballooningdeficits,possiblestaffcutsandaholdontheplanningofanewwingdedicatedtoModernandcontemporaryart.
"4Forsometime,museumshavebecomestewardsofcontemporaryartasobjectsofworship,andtosomedegree,theyhavereplacedthefunctionofexplicitlyreligiousspacesasforumsofindoctrination.
Museumshavebecomeintothecathedralsofthetwentyfirstcenturyarchitecture,thankstotheirmagnificentstructuresandtothefactthattheyareameetingplaceformillionsof"faithful"whoarrivefromnearbyandonpilgrimageandfillforumsdedicatedtotheartworship.
5Asanyotherreligion,art'sworshiphasdevelopedsects.
Inthiscase,thesuperiorityofcontemporaryartovertherestoftheartisticperiodshasbecomeacriticdoctrine.
2Toreadthecompletearticle,pleasereferto:Pogrebin,Robin.
"2ArtWorlds:FlushMoMA,StrugglingMet.
"TheNewYorkTimes.
TheNewYorkTimes,21Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
3DavidGeffenhasbeencalledbythepressas"America'sWorstPhilanthropist"becauseofhisnarcissisticgiftsalwaysareconditionedtotheplacementofhisname,forexample:A$100milliondonationtoUCLAto"establishaprivatemiddleandhighschoolontheWestwoodcampuspartlyforthechildrenoffacultyandstaff"hadtobecalledTheGeffenAcademy.
Hegave$100milliontoLincolnCenterfortheexpresspurposeofputtinghisownnameontheconcerthall—goingsofarastopay$15milliontothefamilyofAveryFisher,theguywhosenamewasalreadyontheconcerthall.
Person,andHamiltonNolan.
"DavidGeffen:America'sWorstPhilanthropist.
"Gawker.
12Nov.
2015.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
4Pogrebin,Robin.
"2ArtWorlds:FlushMoMA,StrugglingMet.
"TheNewYorkTimes.
TheNewYorkTimes,21Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
5Lumbreras,Javier.
TheArtofCollectingArt.
Mexico,Barcelona:Artemundi.
2011.
Print.
p.
147WWW.
ARTEMUNDI.
COM3PogrebinrecalltheartcriticHollandCorret–alsofromtheNewYorkTimes-inhisarticle.
CorretoncecalledtheMetcollection"aninstitutionalembarrassment,inpartbecauseit'slongtimeformerdirectorPhilippedeMontebellowaswaryoffollowingtrends".
6Afterthiscomment,Mr.
MontebelloshouldreceiveanothermedalforkeepingtheMet'sintegrityintact.
Conceivedasa"libraryofart",whyshouldtheMetropolitanMuseumofArtfollowtrendsSinceitwasfoundedduringtheIllustrationera,theencyclopediccharacterofthevenuehashelditsstatementforover140years.
Furthermore,onJanuary13th2015,theTrusteesofTheMetropolitanMuseumofArtreaffirmedthisstatementofpurposeandsupplementeditwiththefollowingstatementofmission:"TheMetropolitanMuseumofArtcollects,studies,conserves,andpresentssignificantworksofartacrossalltimesandculturesinordertoconnectpeopletocreativity,knowledge,andideas.
"7ShouldThomasP.
Campbell–thecurrentdirector,followingthethirty-one-yeartenureofPhilippedeMontebello–compromisethe$300millionbudgetgivenbyreasonofitsencyclopedictemper,justtobe"trendy"Thecurrent$10milliondeficitpresentedinPogrebin'sarticlemightlookshockingatfirstglance;butitisactuallya3.
3%fromits$300millionbudget.
Thisafinancialachievementifwetakeinaccounttherenovationofthecurrentlocation,therebrandingandthecreationoftheMetBreuerbuildingforModernandContemporaryart.
ThesensationalistapproachoftheNewYorkTimes'authorputsunderdoubttheabilitytoraisemoneyforthenewwingandputsonthetablethenecessitytoreducethemuseum'spersonnel"bydozens"8.
Nevertheless,ThomasCampbell,thedirectoroftheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,toldtheNewYorkerthisyear:"Ican'traise$100mforasingleworkofart,butwhatIcandoisraise$600mtorebuildtheModernwing.
That'seasiertodo.
"96Ibidem.
7"AboutTheMet.
"TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,I.
e.
TheMetMuseum.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
8Pogrebin,Robin.
"2ArtWorlds:FlushMoMA,StrugglingMet.
"TheNewYorkTimes.
TheNewYorkTimes,21Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
9Halperin,Julia.
"USMuseumsSpent$5bntoExpandasEconomyShrank.
"USMuseumsSpent$5bntoExpandasEconomyShrank.
4Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
WWW.
ARTEMUNDI.
COM4Inaddition,thenumerousentranceticketsareconstantassetenteringtotheMet'swallet.
Thereareapproximately850millionvisitseachyeartoAmericanmuseums,morethanallmajorleaguesportingeventsandthemeparkscombined.
10AsPogrebincomments,itistruethattheaudienceforMoMA'sarthasgrownexponentiallyinthelastdecade,andsothepressscopeforthissector'smarket.
11ModernandContemporaryarthasbecomeafashionstatementpubliclysponsoredbythepress,whichempowermenthasincreasedsubstantiallyinrecentyears.
Thepoweroftoday'smedia,governments,andlargecorporationsincontrolanddistorttheinformationthattheygivetothepublicinordertopromoteconsumerism,materialism,frivolities,etc.
Themassivemediacoverageon"trendy"eventshasinfluencedthenew-richcollectors,whostillhavethenecessityofculturalrecognition,intellectuallegitimization,andsocialstatusthatartmayoffer.
Nevertheless,ifweturnoffthespotlightsforasecond,theMetropolitancontinuousattendancesuccessreveals.
Thatis,NewYork'sMetropolitanMuseumdrewin6.
5millionannualvisitorstoitspermanentcollection,helpingthevenerableinstitutiontojumptothirdplaceformlastyearranking,makingitthemostvisitedmuseumintheUS.
12Ontheotherhand,MoMA'sattendanceonlyreachedthe2.
81millionvisitorslastyear13,farfromthetop10.
10"Museums:DidYouKnow"AmericanAllianceofMuseums.
2015.
Web.
.
11Foradeeperanalysisofthischangeoftaste,pleasereferto:Edid,Giovana,andFedericoLeónDeLaVega.
"WhyGreatArtBoresYou.
"Artemundi.
16Dec.
2015.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
12Neuendorf,Henri.
"MuseumAttendance2015SurveyReleased-ArtnetNews.
"ArtnetNews.
31Mar.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
13"Museums:Compare.
"Wandervat.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
WWW.
ARTEMUNDI.
COM5Furthermore,withtheexceptionoftheTateModern,allthetop10worldwidemostvisitedmuseumsarenotfocusedonmodernorcontemporaryart.
MoMA'smarketingteamhasdoneagreatjobpublicizingitstemporalexhibitions,whichhavedominatedtheNewYorkartscene.
Itorganized14ofthecity'stop20most-visitedshowsin2015atthecosmopolitancity.
ItsRobertGoberexhibition(5,380visitorsaday)eclipsedthecontroversialBjrkshow(5,221aday).
ButthiswasnotenoughtobeattheMetropolitanMuseumofArt'sexhibitionontheinfluenceofChinaonWesternfashion,whichhad6,581visitorsadayand815,992intotal.
14Worldwide,ThegreatMastersoftheMingDinastydominatedthemuseumattendancein2015attheNationalPalaceMuseumwithover1,131,788visitors.
Ifwecontinueanalyzingtherestofthetop20mostpopularexhibitions,wewouldfoundthat16outofthe20arenotrelatedtocontemporaryart.
Itisoftenassumed,andsometimesdeplored,thataconcentrationonvisitornumbersisacontemporaryphenomenon,asifmodernmuseummanagershaveinventedafetisharoundthesefigures,therebymakingitdifficultforconservativemuseumcuratorstopursuetheirmorespecialistinterests.
RalphRugoff,DirectoroftheHaywardGallery,Londondeclares:"Weallwantpeopletoseeshows,butthetotalnumberofpeoplewhowentisjustonemetric.
"Rugoffstressesthequalityofvisitors'encounterswithart.
"If20,000peopleeachspenttwohoursinashow,that's[worth]morethanif100,000eachspentonly20minutes,"hesays.
15First,wehavetoconsiderthattheMetropolitan14Harddatatakenfrom:Pes,Javier.
"VisitorFigures2015:JeffKoonsIstheToastofParisandBilbao.
"VisitorFigures2015:JeffKoonsIstheToastofParisandBilbao.
31Mar.
2015.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
15Pes,Javier.
"It'sNotAllaboutAttendance:FiveMuseumDirectorsonHowTheyMeasureSuccess.
"It'sNotAllaboutAttendance:FiveMuseumDirectorsonHowTheyMeasureSuccess.
31Mar.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
WWW.
ARTEMUNDI.
COM6Museumhasover427,095objectsondisplayinitstwo-million-square-footbuilding,andcompareitwiththeMoMA's200,000collection.
Furthermore,astudymadein2001byJeffreyandLisaSmithattheMetropolitanMuseumofArtdiscoveredthattheaveragetimespentonapieceis17seconds.
Onthecontrast,thesamestudydoneattheMoMAunveiledthatitdoesn'treallyholdvisitorsattentionasmuchasonemightthinksincetheaverageviewingtimeisamere10seconds.
16Inthiscase,theMethaveeverythingtogain.
Finally,weshouldnotforgetthemuseum'sperpetualroleasguardianofart,incontrastwiththefashionableartmarketenvironment.
Bothshouldnotbeconsideredasexcludingandholdthesameimportance.
Thedifferencereliesintheacquisitionstrategybetweenbothmuseums.
Ononeside,theMoMAseeksforartworksthatwillbecomeemblematicpiecesofthecollectioninthefuture.
Inordertobesuccessful,theMoMA'smarketapproachneedstobuyabroadanddiverseselectionofartpiecesfromwhichonlyafewofthemwillconsummate.
Onthecontrary,theMetinvestsonlyonartworksthathavebeenalreadyconsideredasiconic.
Sincetimedecideswhicharethebestrepresentativesofanartisticperiod,theMet'sacquisitionprogramforcontemporaryarthavebeenwaitingenoughtorealizetheoutstandingartistsofourera.
HerereliesthereasonwhytheMethasscarcelybeguncollectingmodernandcontemporary.
Followingwithitsencyclopediccode,Met'sapproachdelimitsquantityandupraisesquality.
Forthisreasonbothmuseumsshouldbeconsideredassupplementaryandnotasrivals.
Notwithstandingalloftheabove,theMetropolitanMuseum'ssituationisfarfromwhatRobinPogrebinhaspublished.
OthermuseumsmaysurpasstheMetropolitanincertainareasofcollecting—therearebetterRenaissancepaintingsintheUffizi,moreFrenchmasterpiecesintheLouvre,andmoreFlemishpaintingsinthePradoMuseum—butfordepthandcomprehensivenesstheMethasnoequal.
TheMet'saudiencedoesnothavetobesoldonthetrends,becausetheaudienceis,apriori,aculturalélite.
Ironically,"traditionalists"likeMontebelloarethetruerebelsthatfightagainstthecontemporaryartsectfullofobliviousplayers.
16Orensanz,Angel.
"ArchiveTagArchives:TheAverageTimePeopleLookataPainting.
"TheAngelOrensanzFoundation.
21Aug.
2012.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
WWW.
ARTEMUNDI.
COM7ByGiovanaEdidandJavierLumbrerasSOURCESCONSULTED:"AboutTheMet.
"TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,I.
e.
TheMetMuseum.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
"Museums:DidYouKnow"AmericanAllianceofMuseums.
2015.
Web.
.
"Museums:Compare.
"Wandervat.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Edid,Giovana,andFedericoLeónDeLaVega.
"WhyGreatArtBoresYou.
"Artemundi.
16Dec.
2015.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Halperin,Julia.
"USMuseumsSpent$5bntoExpandasEconomyShrank.
"USMuseumsSpent$5bntoExpandasEconomyShrank.
4Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Harddatatakenfrom:Pes,Javier.
"VisitorFigures2015:JeffKoonsIstheToastofParisandBilbao.
"VisitorFigures2015:JeffKoonsIstheToastofParisandBilbao.
31Mar.
2015.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Lumbreras,Javier.
ElArteDeColeccionarArte.
Mexico,D.
F.
:Artemundi.
2011.
Print.
p.
147Neuendorf,Henri.
"MuseumAttendance2015SurveyReleased-ArtnetNews.
"ArtnetNews.
31Mar.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Pes,Javier.
"It'sNotAllaboutAttendance:FiveMuseumDirectorsonHowTheyMeasureSuccess.
"It'sNotAllaboutAttendance:FiveMuseumDirectorsonHowTheyMeasureSuccess.
31Mar.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Person,andHamiltonNolan.
"DavidGeffen:America'sWorstPhilanthropist.
"Gawker.
12Nov.
2015.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Pogrebin,Robin.
"2ArtWorlds:FlushMoMA,StrugglingMet.
"TheNewYorkTimes.
TheNewYorkTimes,21Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Pogrebin,Robin.
"2ArtWorlds:FlushMoMA,StrugglingMet.
"TheNewYorkTimes.
TheNewYorkTimes,21Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Pogrebin,Robin.
"2ArtWorlds:FlushMoMA,StrugglingMet.
"TheNewYorkTimes.
TheNewYorkTimes,21Apr.
2016.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.
Orensanz,Angel.
"ArchiveTagArchives:TheAverageTimePeopleLookataPainting.
"TheAngelOrensanzFoundation.
21Aug.
2012.
Web.
27Apr.
2016.
.