Museums and the Trade (ctd.)
February 29 2016
Picture: National Gallery
I mentioned last year a planned conference at the National Gallery in London on the art trade and museums, and now the Gallery has published the programme. It's a two day event, on Friday 1st April and Saturday 2nd. The list of speakers looks good, though it seems to be quite museum-centric, and the topics for discussion skirt around many of today's real issues (such as; why do so many museums refuse to pass judgement on paintings that happen to belong to dealers, or even are just privately owned? Surely, as Sir Nicholas Penny says, 'the picture comes first').
Anyway, it looks like an interesting two days. Here's the blurb:
The National Gallery, in association with the University of Manchester, presents a two-day international conference on the interactions between art dealers and museums
An array of experienced professionals, established scholars, and emerging researchers explore the complex, complementary and conflicting associations between art dealers and museums.
The conference has its origins in the acquisition of the Thos. Agnew & Sons archive by the National Gallery. Although focused on the London and British art market in the late 19th century, papers are spread across a range of geographical areas and extend to the present time, establishing connections and contrasts between places and periods.
'Negotiating art' raises many fundamental topics, such as the relationship between consumption and culture; the creation, separation, and ethical remits of professional specialisms; the nature and role of art institutions; and the multifaceted roles of art collecting. Papers examine these topical questions by examining historical case studies as well as presenting broader analytical investigations, and are complemented by structured discussions and informal networking sessions.
