- DEADLINE EXTENDED: 12 March 2008 -

The Museum and Contemporary Art

“Honor the art of the past, make contemporary art a blast.”

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 have to ask not only which artist is more pertinent than
another, and 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 12 2008. Applicants should expect to
receive an answer by March 14 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).