The go between: artist as mediator between collections and audiences

As mediator, provocateur, informant or fantasist, Allen’s research recognises the burden of the artist to act as communicator on and in public spaces. The research examines why the museum has become a nucleus of creative thinking and a life source for today’s artist. The trend towards collaborations between practicing artists and museum curators has changed the way we view and respond to the modern museum.

Meanwhile, the museum has engaged with creative practices in ways that move beyond the established concept of the ‘artist-in-residence’. From film and animation to music and performance, in physical and virtual space, and in settings beyond the museum’s walls, museum curators and learning specialists deploy and respond to creative practices in virtually every dimension of their work.

The interrogative mind of the artist has in recent years questioned the system, order and sense of performance associated with our museums. This has been a constructive - and occasionally a destructive - dialogue. The artist has roamed over past, present and future, and provided insights and innovations on behalf of the museum to assist institutions to reach audiences in fresh ways. The curator uses the freedom of artistic practice to blur boundaries, challenge stereotypes and open up routes to new audiences. But the artist has also been required to adapt, compromise, and stay within institutional boundaries.

‘The Go Between’ gave Allen the opportunity to bring together artist, critic, curator and academic to pose the questions: What is the responsibility of the today’s museum towards the diversity of creative practices? Why are artists constantly drawn to the museum? How is the creative practice facilitated or impeded by the museum – and vice versa? At what cost? . As editor, Allen presented a paper and selected a series of papers from the conference that were published.

• http://cci.glam.ac.uk/media/files/docume...