The Changing Face of Museums

From Centres of Knowledge to Commercial Hubs

According to Emmanuel N. Arinze, President of the Commonwealth Association of Museums, museums are ‘the cultural conscience of the nation’ and are responsible for holding the ‘cultural wealth of the nation in trust for all generations.’ If we are to view modern museums through the image that Arinze depicts, it paints a rather bleak picture of the cultural context of nations today and the heritage that is being left behind for future generations. While museums have historically been a tool to educate the public and democratise knowledge, experiences, and the ‘collective memories’ of communities, they are increasingly becoming commercialised sources of finance.

Leonardo Da Vinci's painting Salvator Mundi was purchased in November 2017 for a staggering $450.3 million, making it the most expensive painting ever sold. It will soon go on display in the newly opened Louvre Abu Dhabi and this extortionate price will serve as the main marketing point for the museum. James Langton, writing for leading Abu Dhabi-based daily newspaper The National, highlights the ‘endless’ marketing possibilities, from coasters and magnets to mugs and t-shirts. Furthermore, as claimed by Somers Cocks, ‘Chinese tourists will want to come to see the world’s most expensive work of art,’ thereby supporting Abu Dhabi's tourism economy. Rather than being interested in the artistry or beauty of a 500-year-old painting, the tourists that museums hope to attract are drawn to the price tag attached to it.

Similar concerns were raised in France when the development of a foreign annex of the historic monument was announced. Art is regarded as integral to the culture and heritage of France and is considered an ‘expression of the national soul.’ Traditionally, works of art have been loaned for free, to ‘contribute to the knowledge and history of art,’ and not rented for money as ‘culture and commerce… should ne’er meet.’ Leading figures in French art such as former director of French museums, Françoise Cachin, art historian and critic Roland Recht, and former director of the Picasso Museum, Jean Clair, published their manifesto ‘Les musées ne sont pas à vendre’ ('Museums are not for sale') in French daily newspaper Le Monde. More than 5,000 French museum curators and specialists supported this statement in an online petition. Amongst the list of grievances against the museum was the ‘commodification of France's national patrimony’ and the treatment of ‘works essential to a country's heritage’ as ‘currencies of exchange.’ The development of the new museum was seen akin to ‘selling their souls’ as it commercialises the Louvre.

The ‘cultural conscience’ that is reflected in today's museums demonstrates the strong grip commercialism and plutomania holds on our society. Clearly evident on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, these ostentatious demonstrations of wealth have become the focus of people's social interactions. From extravagant holidays and weekly brunches to designer bags and expensive gifts, events are documented to project images of affluence; our consumption has become, as Veblen would put it, ‘conspicuous.’ There is an over-emphasis on grandiose displays of wealth which has permeated all aspects of daily life, causing a shift in the purpose of museums from an educative platform to one designed to flaunt money. As feared by Cachin, Recht and Clair, France's heritage objects have become consumer goods. Visiting the new Louvre Abu Dhabi has less to do with art and culture and more to do with showing that you went on an expensive holiday to an exotic location where you saw the most expensive painting in the world. Furthermore, unlike its parent museum in France, the Louvre Abu Dhabi charges an admission fee, breaking from the tradition of offering free and accessible knowledge for all, and demonstrating the financial incentives underpinning them.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is not the only example of the emergence of museum ‘brands,’ as cultural institutions choose to open satellites in other locations. The Guggenheim Museums Group, for example, has branches in Bilbao, Spain, and Venice, Italy, while the Centre Pompidou added Shanghai to its growing list of international satellite locations with the launch of the Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum earlier this month.

The financial benefits of satellite spaces are clear, with the Pompidou receiving €2.75 million annually as part of their collaboration agreement, which is particularly important as many museums lack financing options. As with the ‘Bilbao Effect,’ the introduction of satellite museums has immense economic potential for ‘reviving’ a country through the introduction of an iconic landmark (the new Victoria and Albert in Dundee comes to mind). Beyond this, museums are fast becoming a way to exercise international diplomacy and maintain alliances with foreign states — a source of ‘soft’ political power. Opening museums in a foreign country can help maintain cordial inter-state relations and create cooperation.

This, it can be argued, is simply a way in which museums adapt their purposes and practices to contemporary audiences, and ensure their survival — something they have been doing for decades. Opening satellite branches and hosting collaborative exhibitions allows museums to distinguish themselves to contemporary audiences, which are bombarded with a plethora of different forms of entertainment. However, this will remain a source of mourning and sadness for traditional museum consumers who appreciated a focus on culture and heritage rather than grandiose exhibitions.

The Changing Face of Museums

From Centres of Knowledge to Commercial Hubs

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