博客來The Contemporary Museum adopts a presentist outlook that challenges the idea of the museum as having been formed in the past, being controlled by its collections, following tradition, or being shaped to meet some future ideal. In doing so, the book recognises that the actions of the museum must not be determined by professional or institutional creed, but by contemporary social need.
Defining the ‘contemporary’ as our present-day focus, the book concentrates very specifically on what we are experiencing in the here and now. Viewing the present era as defined by ephemeral contemporary and global awareness, The Contemporary Museum locates the museum in a world of immediate need and action. Its presentist lens alters the writing of history and the doing of art history, as well as altering the city and the psychology of being. This global contemporary lens is applied across the book and contributors to the volume draw upon examples from around the world in order to provide a consideration of global concern and, in turn, an egalitarian worldview.
The Contemporary Museum is a follow-up volume to Museum Revolutions and as such, should be essential reading for students in the fields of museum and heritage studies, cultural studies, communication and media studies, art history and social policy. Academics and museum professionals who are interested in learning more about how museums interpret their collections and serve their audiences should also find the book valuable.
