Museums' Historical Definition Ends as Power Shifts from Object to Observer

During the 1990s, a significant surge in museum construction took place in Western Europe and the United States, highlighted by the reconstruction of five museums in Berlin at a cost of one billion euros. This development prompted discussions regarding the relevance of art in contemporary museums. Peter Weibel observed a shift from a focus on authors and objects to an emphasis on observers and machines, resulting in the view of museums as artificial social constructs. The museums of the 2000s are characterized as manipulative and overtly commercial. The acceptance of readymades underscored the arbitrary nature of museum definitions of art. Harald Szeemann's perspective shifted from promoting open museums in the 1970s to viewing them as protective by the 1980s. This essay was delivered at the CIMAM conference held at the Ludwig Museum in Budapest in September 2000.