Chris Dercon, newly appointed director of the Tate Modern, has proposed several ideas for the future of the museum, and more specifically, the Tate. The museum, Dercon says, needs to become a dynamic space where the audience’s changing perception of discerning visual culture can manifest itself in the museum. Hence his use of the words, “‘What is good for the artists, is what is good for the audience’ is no longer true”. While an idea like this one could be the future of the Tate, the reality is that the same is not possible in a South African context.
The Tate Modern is positioned in an extremely privileged position as one of, if not the most influential and powerful museums in the world, with approximately 5 million viewers a year. Coupled with the fact that the audiences in London are wanting to visit museums, and are at a point where they can sway bosses to re-evaluate the way they are structuring museums, South Africa is left in a stark contrast. Most museums in South Africa require an entrance fee, and many South Africans are not interested in visiting them. The notion of taking the Museum outside, while interesting in theory, or the museum as everywhere is a European idea, which is not applicable in a South African context. Dercon’s statement “the Artworld is based on the control of information” still has a strong foothold on the way in which museums are run, and shows no possibility of major change in the future as long as they are not supported properly.
On a basic level, the problem lies with the issue that an active response towards creating “the social cohesion” spoken about in yesterday’s interview with Ross Douglas, needs to happen on a larger scale if Dercon’s model for a changed museum can happen in any way. One feels that there is a lot of talk about inclusivity and engagement, and these intentions are essential to developing an art-aware public, but ultimately what these phrases have become is a somewhat empty rhetoric. The art community remains a small and elitist one, and this needs to change if museums and other art institutions wish to increase the number of people viewing the work in their galleries and museums.