Given the wide-ranging nature of what museums do, there are many and varied challenges undertaken by museum people on a daily basis. These can be codified and listed in job descriptions. But what really drives museum people in their work? This compilation—a national sampling with a regional emphasis—reveals instead what personally motivates a variety of directors and curators. We look behind-the-scenes... Read more

Fran Siegel

These are tense times throughout the world, and as the Venice Biennale might well be considered a form of cultural Olympics, the stakes here could be high. This is why many were surprised at the offensive tone of Danish minister of culture, Marianne Jelved, in her speech that inaugurated the provocative pavilion of artist Jesper Just. Ms. Jelved explained that walling off the front of the Danish pavilion was at odds with the mission of culture and that this work portrayed Denmark as isolationist, blocking out the outside world. Viewers were guided instead to enter the multi-roomed video work through the back.