By stating that Europe is no longer an economic museum, the New York Times praises the old continent for its swift and effective reaction to the global credit crisis. The use of the museum as a metaphor for Europe’s perceived inertia, reflects a widespread attitude among Americans, who often dismissed Europe as a place for languorous meals and vacations, and not economic innovation.

In a time when everything seems turned up side down, perhaps the museum can even become a place for Americans to come to grips with their own failing financial system. Next year the Museum of Modern Art in New York will stage a solo show of work by Dutch video-artist Aernout Mik, including a film that shows the aftermath of a turbulent day of trading on Wall Street.

Video still from ‘Middlemen’, 2001, by Aernout Mik

In “Middlemen” (2001), standing on a trading floor covered with paper, stockbrokers - some of whom are doubled with dummies - stare off into space with empty expressions. In a lavishly constructed set, Mik stages a swarm of latently catastrophic scenes with tragicomic undertones. The museum as a mirror for disillusioned Americans?

Related posts:  On day of Wall Street’s worst loss since 2001, super-rich embrace Damien Hirst  //  External wall of Tate Modern to become big canvas  //  Virtual heritage exhibits and projects taking off  //

This entry was posted on zondag, oktober 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pm and is filed under Art, Business, Museum, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.