this is the flow

What role do visual arts and museums play in our society, and what role might they play

From the difference between nightclubs and museums, to the
(im-)possible ambitions of art and the fading distinction between high and low culture. From the carefully constructed ambience of orderliness and luxury in airports, to the question of whether art can develop symbols that express the values that bind us today. A series of thought-provoking essays on a diverse range of subjects serve as the catalyst for the underlying question: what role do the visual arts and museums play in our society? And what role might they play?
Rutger Wolfson’s premise is that museums must re-establish their legitimacy and engage in a more explicit relationship with society. The unassailable position long enjoyed by art is no longer self-evident, and thus the authority of the museum has come under pressure. This stimulating volume initiates a fundamental discussion on the current artistic climate. In This is the Flow, the museum is redefined: no longer primarily as a place for art and artists, but as a space for ideas.