Abstract
Since the year 2000, there has been a worldwide boom in private museums for contemporary art. These institutions are typically founded by members of the economic elite, who expand their visibility and become key players in the art field, potentially increasing their power as taste-makers. This phenomenon has, however, not been investigated much, and the focus on founders and how they navigate the art field has received little attention. In this paper, I examine how private art museum founders’ recognition is constructed through the narratives of art actors. Drawing from participant observation and interviews conducted with curators, gallerists, dealers, art critics, art collectors, scholars, artists, museum directors and owners composing the Brazilian art world, I explore how these actors recognise founders. Many actors express their gratitude and admiration for the outcomes of what founders created while also critically stating that, through their institutions, they aim to increase their prestige in the art field and as economic elite members. Brazilian museum owners are criticised in many ways: as unknowledgeable art collectors, as nouveaux-riches social climbers, as self-interest capitalists with hidden business agendas, and as ego-centred super-rich. Contrasting with what other studies have found, in the Brazilian art field, the visibility enhancement of museum founders is not always accompanied by an increase in prestige but can end up damaging their reputations. These entangled narratives signal the complexity and nuances involved in analysing the benefits private art museums can confer on their owners, stressing that prestige enhancement should not be taken for granted.
Presenters
Andrea Friedmann RozenbaumPhD Candidate, Sociology, University of Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Art field, Private Museums, Recognition, Bourdieu, Economic Elite, Brazil
