Occupy MoMA?!?

Without divulging my thoughts on the "Occupy" movement as a whole, I'd like to address the issues raised by the branch-movement, Occupy MoMA (and Occupy the New Museum). Artinfo touched on their points here, and I'll reiterate:

1. One chant was, "The Occupy Wall Street Movement will bring forth an era of new art, true experimentation outside the narrow parameters set by the market."

2. The $25 admission price "is obscene."

Let's take a closer look at these two issues. #1 seems out of touch to me. Is the market hindering the production of experimental art? I think in the past few years we've seen an emergence of art that some might tag as truly un-saleable. For example, internet based art (see Breanne Trammell), App-based art (see Rafaël Rozendaal), and the holy grail of the un-collectable: Tino Sehgal. If you purchase a Sehgal, the only "documentation" you receive in terms of explaining the piece is word-of-mouth instructions. Yep. MoMA just added a performance of his to their collection. So, how exactly is the market setting parameters?

#2 is a complaint I've often had, but then again, there are always free or reduced options. So why complain? If it bothers you that much, then head over to the Met and pay-as-you-wish. Most NYC museums this year had record numbers...so the high prices don't seem to be deterring many people.

For more on this topic, read this great piece by Ed Winkleman over at ArtWorldSalon.

TAGS: news / occupy