Comments on: Mass MoCA: Clean Sweep http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/2007/09/26/mass_moca_clean_sweep/ Reflections on art and architecture by TIME critic Richard Lacayo. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:49:09 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: DOCTOR PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/2007/09/26/mass_moca_clean_sweep/comment-page-1/#comment-140 DOCTOR PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:31:32 +0000 http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/2007/09/26/mass_moca_clean_sweep/#comment-140 DOCTOR PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN here, There seems to be disparity to this retaliation. DOCTOR PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN Sweden. DOCTOR PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN here,
There seems to be disparity to this retaliation.
DOCTOR PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN
Sweden.

]]> By: Franklin http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/2007/09/26/mass_moca_clean_sweep/comment-page-1/#comment-139 Franklin Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:26:34 +0000 http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/2007/09/26/mass_moca_clean_sweep/#comment-139 Buchel's countersuit sought an injunction and financial damages against the museum, and VARA does not seem to provide for that level of retaliation. Neither does it addresss situations like this one, in which the museum does the vast majority of real labor on the art under relatively scant direction from the artist, who then won't direct the work to completion. That may indicate shortcomings in VARA, but not Posnor's decision on it, which follows the law admirably. As for whether this incident harms the museum's reputation, Zaretsky is doing his best to make sure that it does, with statements like "MASS MoCA has done serious damage to the cause of artists' rights generally" and "MASS MoCA has in effect ... guaranteed that all artists are now subject to have their artistic ideas exhibited and shown to the public in any state of completion and at any time." I tend to think instead that artists and museums involved in projects like Buchel's will draw up more specific contracts regarding the creation, installation, and display of work. Otherwise Posnor's decision will have little fallout for most artists. My own opinion of the museum remains unaltered. Buchel's countersuit sought an injunction and financial damages against the museum, and VARA does not seem to provide for that level of retaliation. Neither does it addresss situations like this one, in which the museum does the vast majority of real labor on the art under relatively scant direction from the artist, who then won't direct the work to completion. That may indicate shortcomings in VARA, but not Posnor's decision on it, which follows the law admirably.

As for whether this incident harms the museum's reputation, Zaretsky is doing his best to make sure that it does, with statements like "MASS MoCA has done serious damage to the cause of artists' rights generally" and "MASS MoCA has in effect ... guaranteed that all artists are now subject to have their artistic ideas exhibited and shown to the public in any state of completion and at any time." I tend to think instead that artists and museums involved in projects like Buchel's will draw up more specific contracts regarding the creation, installation, and display of work. Otherwise Posnor's decision will have little fallout for most artists. My own opinion of the museum remains unaltered.

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