Kusann
When collectors get handsy.
Art has over the years become a sophisticated way of expressing the raw and chaotic emotions that desperately seeks surface inside us. Moreover, museums have become the open space for artists to thrive with their creative thoughts – and sometimes frantic behaviors.
Museums have been a platform to give way to these artists so they are able to realize their ideology, their philanthropy, their philosophy.
But when money and greed steps into the picture, things tend to get ugly.
In the business of museums, increasingly more collectors are buying their way into the boards of museums. Being a member of a museum board is highly sought after. As a board member, you get the authority to fire the museum director. You are part of deciding which live artist to buy artwork from. But most important of all, you get an early bird ticket to buy the most critically acclaimed paintings.
So the museum wants cash, and the collector wants to cut in line to buy their favorite paintings. There is only one problem: buying a job is not ethical. The collectors and their money don’t belong to the boards – it’s almost like rich people killing exotic animals to put as trophies in their living room. It’s just not right.
So when Warren Kanders for instance bought his way to the vice chair of the Whitney Museum of American Art Board, a rebellion was ignited. Eight artists had to pull their artwork from the Whitney Biennial for Kanders to realize that he was not welcome. Afterwards, in his resignation letter, he blamed the toxic environment.
What we see here is a collision between capitalism and culture. Culture has gotten a lucrative and excluding name on the street because people that haven’t put blood, sweat and tears into art suddenly can decide what is to be art. Evidence shows that ethnic minority groups are less likely to visit museums than majority ethnic groups, and that museums often want but struggle to achieve greater user diversity. When the majority of the museum’s board is controlled by white, middle-aged, rich men – how are we to make a greater diversity among the visitors? Moreover, how are we supposed to not only make a diversity among visitors, but also among artists if we don’t have diversity in the board?
However – truth is that probably (or rather hopefully) some collectors aren’t like this. Some of them have actual passion for art, for the physical space that allows the artist to fully express themselves. They see the abstract value rather than the monetary value. But we can’t have midlife-crisis ridden, pocket-full-of-cash-rich Trophy Hunters control the deaccessioning and disposal of works of art from the collection by sale.
It’s just not right.
Making sense of art and design industries 