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The Whys and Hows of DeinstitutionalizationMartha Wilson & Michael Katchen, Franklin Furnace Main
Session: Virtualizing Museums: the de-materialization of the Institution
As a burgeoning "virtual institution," Franklin Furnace is pioneering
new territory. In the early 90s, Franklin Furnace began to take steps
to "dematerialize" as a result of the shared perception of both the
Founding Director and the Board that the current model of an alternative
space might not adequately serve the community of avant-garde artists
now spread beyond the boroughs of New York to places across the nation
and around the world. The process has evolved beyond our expectations:
In 1993, Franklin Furnace's artist book collection was acquired by MOMA;
in 1996 it mounted its 20th Anniversary show to conclude its exhibition
program with a bang, and it also launched its website as its public
face on February 1, 1997. Our loft was sold in September, 1997, and
in many ways, the anxiety that lay behind the question of what a "virtual
institution" might be or what it could accomplish was unleashed. We
now consider the point we have reached to be an opportunity to re-consider
the role of Franklin Furnace in relation to the community of artists
and the culture at large, programs that will best serve to fulfill our
mission, the basis upon which Franklin Furnace can and should sustain
its mission.
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