Call for Papers

The Museum and Contemporary Art

"Honor the art of the past, make contemporary art a blast."[1]

The Copenhagen Doctoral School in Cultural Studies focuses on the
often conflictive relationship between the museum and contemporary art
in two workshops and a conference.

In the continuously changing landscape of art forms and definitions
museums have always been confronted with the problem of selecting and
therefore intervening in the evolution of art history. Today their
choice seems harder than ever. Museums now have to ask not only which
artist is more pertinent than another, but also distinguish the
suitability of a given medium in the context of particular collections
or exhibitions. The fundamentals of the relation between contemporary
art and the museum are now challenged by the idea of the experience
culture, which seems to be superseding that of culture as something to
acquire, which used to inform exhibition practices in the museum. It
is to the identification of the symptoms of this change as well as to
the analysis of its impact on the relationship between the museum and
contemporary art that The Copenhagen Doctoral School in Cultural
Studies wishes to direct an inquiry.

Whether this situation originates in market interests, changes in
artistic practices or pressure from municipal, regional, and national
politicians under the influence of the trends of experience economy,
it prompts reflection on the place and function of contemporary art in
the museum. Which narratives on contemporary art are created inside
and outside the museum walls, and how do they relate to the museum?
How is contemporary art marketed and mediated? How is its story told
by traditional and new stakeholders? How do artists navigate in the
stream of experience culture?

Would one possible response to the development of contemporary art
consist in upgrading mediation services? Do museums have to step up to
the increasingly accessible nature of contemporary art by enhancing
possibilities of engagement with the works through increased
mediation? Would the idea of experience culture thus constitute
another step in the history of the liquidation of elitist art - a
history stretching back as far as the museum itself - examples of
which can be found in Impressionism, the historical avant-gardes, and
Minimalism? In this perspective, how could the increased interest in
art forms and immaterial practices such as performances and net art be
analyzed and how do museums answer the challenges linked specifically
to their exhibition?

The impact of current transformations might be more fundamental than
the call for more mediation would imply. It could be argued that the
idea of experience culture transforms the nature of art itself, which
would eventually convert the museum into a space dedicated to the much
larger phenomenon of culture. Or, based on the same observation, the
radical separation of historical and contemporary art could be
suggested. In the context of a contemporary art, which seems to take
its bearings from horizontal rather than vertical developments, one
must also ask the question of the capacity of art historians to
administer contemporary art. Should contemporary art at least partly
be moved out of the survey museum?

The status of the art museum being fundamentally challenged by
experience culture, the stakes of a large number of contemporary
artists in the museum also merit attention. Is exhibiting in the
museum simply a way to access important sources of finance which would
remain beyond the reach of a purely political or socially oriented
art? Is the museum merely one of many showrooms in a complex
exhibition strategy in which the museum has lost its primacy? Do
museums lose their specificity when engaging in the production of art,
or may the reconfiguration of museums into production units constitute
an answer to the changes it is currently facing?

The Copenhagen Doctoral School in Cultural Studies invites PhD-
students, post-docs, and young researchers to participate in two
international workshops and a conference committed to examining the
challenges of exhibiting contemporary art in a museal setting.

The first workshop will take place at the University of Copenhagen on
April 14 and 15 2008. 10-15 participants are invited to present a
problem within the context of the conference subject. The paper (25-30
minutes) should include references to at least one recent exhibition
or exhibition practice. Each presentation will be followed by a 30-
minute discussion.

For the second workshop all participants will be asked to work on the
exhibition Reality Check - Contemporary Art from the Mid-90s to the
Present (Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk (English version
available), September 2008 - January 2009). After a visit to the
exhibition in September, paper contents will be agreed upon and
prepared by each of the participants for a work session at the museum
on October 4 and 5 2008. The exhibition curator, Marianne Torp, has
agreed to take part in the discussions.

The workshops will provide the foundational work for a 2-3 day
conference planned for March 2009. A separate call for papers will be
edited for that event. Workshop participants are strongly urged to
send in proposals, although all participants cannot expect to be
included along with the invited speakers at the conference. A number
of working methods will be pursued, ranging from public paper
presentations to discussions of ongoing PhD and post-doc projects in
smaller forums.

Participants should be prepared to engage very actively in the
meetings. The working language will be English. External speakers may
be invited for short presentations at both workshops, and working
methods altered to best stimulate discussions as they progress.
Depending on the outcome of the three sessions, and the possibilities
of obtaining financial support a publication is envisaged.
Participants should be prepared to submit a printed copy of their
presentations for use in the discussions.

The Copenhagen Doctoral School in Cultural Studies sponsors lunch,
coffee, and a dinner at each of the workshops. In addition, the
conference will finance one return ticket for international
participants at a reasonable tariff. This ticket is reserved for the
visit of the exhibition in September. A limited number of scholarships
are available for participants with no possibility of obtaining
financial support from their home institutions (one plane or train
return ticket per workshop). A short application signed by the
director of the applicant's home institution should be attached to the
abstract.

Participation in at least both workshops in 2008, preferably also the
conference in 2009, is required.

Abstracts of no more than 200 words, including a CV and contact
information for one academic reference, should be sent to Manager
Kirsten Zeuthen cdshum.ku.dk no later than March 1 2008. Applicants
should expect to receive an answer by March 8 2008.

The workshops and the conference will be organized and moderated by
Rune Gade (PhD, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen) and
Jesper Rasmussen (PhD-student, University of Copenhagen and University
of Paris-Nanterre).