How Institutions Think: Between Contemporary Art and Curatorial Discourse

by Paul O'Neill (Editor), Lucy Steeds (Editor), Mick Wilson (Editor)

Contemporary art and curatorial work, and the institutions that house them, have often been centers of power, hierarchy, control, value, and discipline. Even the most progressive among them face the dilemma of existing as institutionalized anti-institutions. This anthology--taking its title from Mary Douglas's 1986 book, How Institutions Think--reconsiders the practices, habits, models, and rhetoric of the institution and the anti-institution in contemporary art and curating. Contributors reflect upon how institutions inform art, curatorial, educational, and research practices as much as they shape the world around us. They consider the institution as an object ofienquiry across many disciplines, including political theory, organizational science, and sociology.

Bringing together an international and multidisciplinary group of writers, How Institutions Think addresses such questions as whether institution building is still possible, feasible, or desirable; if there are emergent institutional models for progressive art and curatorial research practices; and how we can establish ethical principles and build our institutions accordingly. The first part, "Thinking via Institution," moves from the particular to the general; the second part, "Thinking about Institution," considers broader questions about the nature of institutional frameworks.

Contributors includeNatasa Petresin Bachelez, Dave Beech, Melanie Bouteloup, Nikita Yingqian Cai, Binna Choi and Annette Kraus, Pip Day, Clementine Deliss, Keller Easterling and Andrea Phillips, Bassam El Baroni, Charles Esche, Patricia Falguieres, Patrick D. Flores, Marina Grzinic, Stefano Harney, Alhena Katsof, Emily Pethick, Sarah Pierce, Zahia Rahmani, Moses Serubiri, Simon Sheikh, Mick Wilson

Genres: Art

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 24, 2017

About the author

Dr. Paul O'Neill is an artist, curator, educator and writer based in Bristol and New York.


Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.