Art museums often seem like neutral spaces free from politics and social issues.
Art museums put pretty pictures, sculptures and videos on display and offer affordable admission for all types of people.
The engaging displays art museums offer can often blind people to the reality of the museum itself.
The art museum is an institution. And just like any other institution, art museums are politically engaged and struggle with keeping in line with morality and ethics.
Museums don’t exist in a vacuum and are not devoid of politics.
They are living institutions that respond to society and shape the way art is viewed by society.
The major art museums of the day such as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim have sponsorship ties to immoral businesses and private donors, making the museums’ politics even more questionable.
An example of ethically questionable museum sponsor ties can be found at the Louvre.
Paris’ most famous museum accepts funding from two of the world’s largest oil companies: Total and Eni.
The Guggenheim and Louvre are also building franchises in Abu Dhabi by employing migrant workers who are put under appalling working conditions.
The Metropolitan Museum in New York City boasts David Koch, of the infamous business duo, the Koch brothers as a trustee.
In 2014 Koch gave the museum $65 million to build up the Fifth Avenue façade of the building and create the “David H. Koch” plaza. Not only does the Metropolitan Museum accept money from Koch, according to Raw Story, they advertise their ties to Koch as positive.
The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City opened a branch in 1983 that was paid and named for the Philip Morris Tobacco Company, which was notorious for repeatedly denying tobacco can cause lung cancer.
For those who may not be convinced of the political nature of accepting funding from large corporations or private business donors, let me break it down.
When institutions accept funding from morally corrupt businesses or people, those museums are inherently condoning such behaviors and business practices.
Also, once the museums accept the money, they are monetarily bound to portraying these businesses in a good light.
Not only is accepting money from big business a sign of solidarity, it’s also a giant advertisement for corporations and private donors.
The oil companies Total and Eni, the Philip Morris Tobacco Company and David Koch look more upstanding and supportive of the arts and less morally dubious.
Museums are social institutions and should not accept funding from ethically questionable businesses or participate in morally suspect capitalistic enterprises.
Big business already controls global relations. Capitalism should not be bankrolling our culture.
Museums should not be capitalist business enterprises with franchises.
The more money museums accept from big business, the more like a big business, these museums become and the more monetized our culture becomes.
The only way to prevent this is for museums to research the businesses and people they accept funding from as well as not expanding their institutions through franchises.
The money from big business may allow museums to collect more art objects, but the cost is measured in more than just money.
rcm2@indiana.edu
@RachelCMiller1
