Karen Archey's 'After Institutions' Proposes a Third Wave of Institutional Critique Centered on Care

Karen Archey's book 'After Institutions' expands on research for a canceled exhibition originally scheduled to open in March 2020 at the Stedelijk Museum. The publication, released by Floating Opera Press, reimagines institutional critique by shifting its focus toward care as both a sensibility and an institutional framework. Archey, a curator at the Stedelijk Museum, aims to detach this practice from its traditional association with conceptual art. She examines Western art institutions in a post-pandemic context, addressing issues like artwashing, blockbuster exhibitions, and deaccessioning. The book analyzes artworks by Zoe Leonard and Derek Jarman, highlighting their responses to the AIDS crisis. Leonard's 'Strange Fruit' (1992–97), featuring sewn and scattered fruit, critiques healthcare failures and museum preservation instincts. Archey also confronts the Eurocentrism of institutional critique through Liu Ding's 'The Orchid Room' (2018), which incorporates orchids and photographs discussing contemporary art challenges in China. Despite its strengths, the text is noted for repetitive prose and an absence of discussion on collective art practices. The softcover is priced at €17.