Boris Groys Analyzes Museum Logic, Avant-Garde Innovation, and Archive Theory in 1998 Interview

In a 1998 conversation with ARTMargins Online, philosopher Boris Groys examines the contrasting principles of art museums and natural history museums, noting a significant transformation in the 20th century marked by Marcel Duchamp's ready-mades. He points out that while Western museums prioritize representation, Soviet institutions focus on ideological integrity. Groys highlights the avant-garde's challenge to traditional museum standards, citing Kazimir Malevich's Black Square and Duchamp's Fountain. He critiques the avant-garde's avoidance of repetition, connecting it to the role of museums in preserving collective memory. Groys opposes post-structuralist views for overlooking the material aspects of media and describes collectors as societal figures devoid of individual identity, while also referencing contemporary Eastern European installation art and thinkers like Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida.