An experimental acquisition

Since the birth of museums, the mission, language and practices of these institutions have revolved around the object. However, the rise in performance-based art acquisitions in recent years challenges this clear focus, forcing those within the museum to consider new approaches in collecting and in preserving these works for future audiences. Reflecting on empirical research undertaken at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, this chapter examines the Walker’s acquisition of Ralph Lemon’s Scaffold Room (2014) and the challenge of accessioning and caring for performance artworks within the traditional workings of the museum, even within an institution with a long and established history of performance curation. It traces the institution’s undertaking of what they described as an “experimental acquisition” in which, as opposed to collecting physical components such as props or relics from Lemon’s work, they hoped to gather a “collection of memories” from all those who participated in the work in some way. This chapter investigates the feasibility of this kind of approach and how it fits within the traditional structures, narratives and roles of the museum, and in particular how certain infrastructural barriers might hinder its development.