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Why are the places we view art so alarmingly homogenous?
It’s most likely due to the authority of institutions, namely the corporate-minded board members at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, during the era of Alfred H. Barr, Jr. We are still behaviorally re-enacting cultural strategies of this era, so the politics of exhibiting would certainly fit this behavioral bill. However, MOMA’s corporation clearly wasn’t capable enough of inventing these strategies on their own, but rather perverted many of the strategies and beliefs developed by people like El Lissitzky, and members of the Bauhasian entourage. [Lissitzky should be a beat after every teacher's own heart, with conceptions of art such as "das zielbewußte Schaffen" (goal-oriented creation).]

If the history of such relationships is of interest to you, a recommended read would be that of Charlotte Klonk’s Spaces of Experience: Art Gallery Interiors from 1800 to 2000, which traces the history of “experience spaces.” The historical narrative follows the methods of display influenced by scientific theories, in the 19th century, and the German influence of the 20th century, which found gallery directors who were inspired by collectors’ homes, and who hung canvases extremely low down and in single file.

So, if you’re an art enthusiast who is concerned, in a ‘deep’ way, about the sustainability of visual art in the 21st century, this book will serve as an important foreword to your personal performative essay. Additionally, here is a link to an unofficially related blog on the same subject: spaces of experience.

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