ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 explores corporate partnerships and museum commercialisation as implemented by the Guggenheim. It further traces the transformation of these practices in the context of contemporary China by exploring more closely the case of K11 Art Mall. The chapter discusses the unintentional contributions of the Guggenheim to projecting American liberal democracy and the freedom of the market economy. It also reveals that the Guggenheim’s international programming has a stronger institutional focus and agenda, placing it outside of cultural diplomacy activities. The diplomatic manifestation of the global corporatisation practice is, nevertheless, identified through a close analysis of K11’s international activities. In this way, the chapter documents the emergence of powerful private actors of diplomacy among museums in an authoritarian regime such as China. K11 offers a convincing case that demonstrates the power of private diplomacy to represent national arts and culture in the global arena.
