Now-Tomorrow-Flux. An Anthology on the Museum of Contemporary Art

Museums of contemporary art—as they have been established during the last thirty years—request a re-thinking of the category “museum”. The historic notion with its traditional core tasks of collecting and conserving stands in contrast to the term of the contemporary. This volume reflects from different perspectives upon the museum of contemporary art itself in its paradox characteristics. In four chapters, structured by three theoretical essays and a part dedicated to Conversations, each chapter addresses questions regarding the roles and tasks of the museum of contemporary art. The anthology discusses the museum of contemporary arts double character as site of production as well as conservation and emphasizes its relation to different public spheres and its prospective ways of dealing with standards, norms and, regulations which emerge with the museums practices of collecting, arranging and educating.

The publication is edited by Beatrice von Bismarck, Heike Munder and Peter J. Schneemann, with contributions from the art historians and cultural experts Claire Bishop, Büro trafo.K, Martha Buskirk, Beatriz Colomina, Bettina Funcke, Christian Kravagna, Oliver Marchart, Donald Preziosi, Sophia Prinz, Beat Wyss, and Artur Zmijewski. Conversation parts involve different protagonists from the art field as Sepake Angiama, Karla Black, Zachary Bowman, Bruna Casagrande, Yilmaz Dziewior, Kate Fowle, Andrea Fraser, Raphael Gygax, Francesca von Habsburg, Philipp Kaiser, Heike Munder, Alena Nawrotzki, Lars Nittve, Bernadett Settele, Wolfgang Ullrich, Judith Welter, and Nadia Schneider Willen.

Published by JRP|Ringier with the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich, the Institute of Art History, University of Berne and the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig.

Edited by
Beatrice von Bismarck
Heike Munder
Peter J. Schneemann

Author(s)
Claire Bishop
Büro trafo.K
Martha Buskirk
Beatriz Colomina
Bettina Funcke
Christian Kravagna
Oliver Marchart
Donald Preziosi
Sophia Prinz
Beat Wyss
Artur Zmijewski
Simone Miller

English
ISBN 978-3-03764-367-9
January 2016
Softcover, 160x230mm
280 pages
Images: 28 color, 23 sw
Design: Nicolas Eigenheer, Nicolas Leuba
Published by JRP|Ringier