Description
The focus of this thesis is assessing museums as representational cultural institutions and the ethical responsibility these institutions have in regard to accessibility and inclusivity of artifacts and information for the public. Accurate representation of cultural narratives and marginalized groups of artists within institutions has been severely lacking and needs to be addressed. Additionally, there has long been a lack of diverse representation within the infrastructure of cultural institutions in regard to gender and race in positions of power or authority. The specific institution that is evaluated in this thesis is the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Historically speaking, MoMA has been under fire in both public and scholarly critique for specific exhibitions and a clear lack of diverse artist representation and inclusivity since its creation. The Museum has recently undergone a renovation of its gallery spaces as well as a restructuring and rehanging of their collection in an effort towards decolonization. After first discussing museum unrest on a larger scale, then closely evaluating specific instances of controversy in MoMA’s recent past, I finally evaluate MoMA’s attempts at decolonization and the attempted shift towards inclusivity and accessibility. My research addresses why museums need to change, while evaluating how MoMA has made attempts at this cultural shift and if these attempts are deemed successful.
