Description
Book SynopsisRethinking Research in the Art Museum presents an original and radical perspective on how research can function as an agent of change in art museums today. The book analyses a range of art organisations and draws on numerous interviews with museum professionals to outline the limitations of existing models of museum research.
Arguing for a more democratic formulation in tune with the current needs and ambitions of the art institution, Emily Pringle puts forward a framework for practitioner-led, co-produced research that redefines how knowledge is created in the museum. Recognising that museums today negotiate multiple agendas, the book outlines the value of constructing the art museum professional as a practitioner researcher and their work as a mode of practice-based research, be they educators, archivists, curators or conservators. Locating these arguments within the framework of new museology, critical pedagogy, professional and organisational studies and epis
Trade Review
"In this provocative and timely study, Emily Pringle presents a powerful critique of deeply entrenched ways of thinking about research and knowledge creation within cultural institutions. Her original and insightful analysis reveals the enormous, largely untapped potential for practitioners working across the art museum to harness the power of collaborative research to foster radical and progressive change within their organisations." - Richard Sandell, Professor of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, UK
"In this provocative and timely study, Emily Pringle presents a powerful critique of deeply entrenched ways of thinking about research and knowledge creation within cultural institutions. Her original and insightful analysis reveals the enormous, largely untapped potential for practitioners working across the art museum to harness the power of collaborative research to foster radical and progressive change within their organisations." - Richard Sandell, Professor of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, UK
"As a museum practitioner and researcher myself, I found this book very worthwhile. In my own experience, I have observed the divide between formalized research and day-to-day professional practice. This book stimulated me to ask questions of myself and my institution, and gave me a clear structure within which to consider the new research possibilities that arose in response to these." - Esther McNaughton, The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Table of ContentsList of figures; List of tables; List of interviewees; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1 An introduction: who creates the knowledge and defines the reality?; 2 Why is research in art museums confusing and how can we make it less so?; 3 The practitioner researcher in the art museum; 4 Building practice as research in the art museum: Tate Learning as a case study; 5 Co-researching with community members, academics and visitors; 6 Fostering a culture where the practitioner researcher can thrive: Knowle West Media Centre as a case study; 7 Constructing an expanded framework for research in the art museum: moving from the exotic animal to the household pet; Afterword; Bibliography; Index
