ABSTRACT
This final chapter considers possible futures for artists’ interventions in museums. As can be seen in some of the examples discussed in Chapter 7 and 8, relationships between artists and museums have begun to generate new forms of collaboration. Artists of the 1990s and 2000s have not so much been driven towards ‘putting things right’ by opposition, as previous politicised art forms had attempted, as by suggesting subtle differences in approach. While acknowledging exceptions to the rule, in the twenty-first century museum initiatives by artists have slowly veered away from their earlier allegiance to parodic and ironic methodologies towards closer affiliations with museum professionals. As a consequence recent interactions are less grounded in abrasive critique and more aligned with values of co-production. These reciprocal arrangements have, in part, been facilitated by a new generation of directors and curators who appear motivated to develop open working relationships with others outside the museum. A further incentive has come from museum studies and curatorial courses, together with professionalisation in the museum sector which has encouraged a more expansive view of museum philosophy and practice.
