Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece "Mona Lisa", Louvre Museum, Paris
The Louvre, the Tate, the Guggenheim... The names of these institutions must be familiar to all art lovers, but their branches may be rarely heard of or easily confused. From the end of the 20th century to the present, top museums have invested heavily to expand their territory, do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa? Today, Harper's Bazaar Art breaks down for you.
Local and international
A two-pronged approach
In 1988, the Tate Liverpool branch renovated by British architect James Stirling was officially opened. The quayyard, formerly a storehouse building transformed into a five-storey modern art gallery, is Tate's key location outside London. Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister, said: "As a government, we need to develop these museums with the help of taxpayers." It is not enough to preserve this heritage, we need to expand it before passing it on to the next generation. ”
Tate Liverpool exterior, with a sculpture by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone in front of the building.
Nine years later, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, designed by Pritzker Prize winner Frank Gehry, sprang up in the eponymous Spanish town to "revitalize" a post-war dying, economically underdeveloped city, widely known as the "Bilbao Effect" — the use of culture and art to drive economic development.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, in front of which stands the iconic giant "spider" sculpture of American artist Louise Bourgeois.
Branch libraries of art institutions are also often referred to as "satellite museums"—relying on the main building's operational and curatorial team to borrow exhibits on a long-term or short-term basis. The bold moves of the above two top museums at the end of the 20th century undoubtedly created two classic templates for later generations. One is based on the country, aiming to promote the development of regional art and culture; The other is to go international and make a name for itself with the process of globalization.
The exterior of the Louvre Museum (Louvre-Lens) was designed by SANAA Architects, founded by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa .
The interior exhibition hall of the Louvre Museum of Lens
Following this trend, the "treasure trove of art" Louvre created both types of branches. In 2012, it opened a new venue in Lens, a city 200 kilometers north of Paris; The grand opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum in the UAE in 2017 marked a moment of cultural exchange between the two countries, totaling a staggering $1.3 billion. Such a "trench" is full of atmosphere, people can't help but ask, why is it so expensive?
Louvre Abu Dhabi exterior, located on Saadiyat Island, which will also house the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum interior
First of all, a big expense is to build the venues themselves, especially the famous architects who have designed and built new venues, such as the Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, which cost $108 million, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which cost $89 million, which was a high at the end of the 20th century.
Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum interior
Secondly, operation, borrowing exhibits, etc. are another big expense. For example, the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum can borrow works from the main museum and 13 other French museums for 15 years at a cost of up to $747 million. At the same time, the deep-pocketed UAE government spent an additional $525 million for the title of "Louvre", with a title period of 30.5 years. In addition, the transportation and labor costs of transporting works to foreign branch libraries are also very high. With all kinds of costs added together, can this huge expense really "pay for itself"?
Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum's interior gallery
Value or not
It varies from place to place and person to person
This issue needs to be considered from the perspective of the museum, the local government and the audience, and cannot be generalized. First of all, for museums, this is undoubtedly a good thing of "fame and fortune". First, these projects are usually funded by the government, and the cost of museums is small, and they only need to lend works and arrange team assistance.
Centre Pompidou Paris
Second, whether opening a branch library in your home country or another country, it is an excellent opportunity to further expand the "brand influence" of the venue, especially when the main library is closed for some reason, its branch library can still "brush the sense of presence" on its behalf.
In June 2021, the Centre Pompidou in Paris announced plans to open a branch in Jersey City, USA, transforming an abandoned industrial building into an art gallery, which is expected to open in 2024; This year, the Centre Pompidou signed a partnership agreement with the Hanwha Cultural Foundation to establish a branch library in Building 63 in Seoul, South Korea, tentatively scheduled for 2025. The main building will be closed for renovations this year. Although this was not a decisive factor in opening a branch library, it was certainly an opportunity.
Will be transformed into the exterior of the Jamsey City branch of the Centre Pompidou
In 2010, the Pompidou Centre opened its branch in the northeastern French city of Metz, designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, at a cost of 69.33 million euros.
Third, these top museums often have large collections that are only a small part of them on display to the public. For example, the Louvre's collection in 2019 was about 616,000 pieces, while only 35,000 were on display. Opening a branch library can increase the mobility of the collection, so that the works that have been in the warehouse for many years can be seen by audiences from more diverse backgrounds, which is also an important way to reflect the value of museums and artworks.
Louvre in Paris
At the beginning of 2023, the North Branch of the Palace Museum officially broke ground, and this branch will be located in Xibeiwang Town, Haidian District, Beijing.
However, this point is slightly different for domestic art institutions, especially private art museums, such as the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art and the Long Museum. Opening branch museums in different cities in China can reach more audiences through roving exhibitions and realize "one exhibition and multiple cities" exhibition, thereby increasing ticket revenue and establishing brand effect.
UCCA Edge, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art Shanghai Branch.
Of course, for museums with branches across borders, it is more important to pay attention to cultural differences when selecting works. For example, whether nude paintings and sculptures can be accepted in the Middle East, whether works with Christian themes can be exhibited, and whether these works will offend local audiences are all issues that need to be considered.
Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum's interior gallery
Secondly, for the local government, opening an art museum requires certain risks and more considerations. The Louvre Lens branch is often seen as having been affected by the "Bilbao effect" because the situation in the two cities is similar - the secondary sector is in slump, unemployment is high, the economy is in recession...
Lens branch of the Louvre
However, the government's intention to build the branch library was not to revive the economy, but more for political and social reasons – as a social welfare measure, to promote regional cultural equity, and to transform the image of the city known for mining. As a result, the museum's primary goal is not to attract international visitors – but to locals, which is a direct reason why tickets were free in its first year.
Exhibition view of the Lens branch of the Louvre
According to statistics, 18% of its audience is working-class (much higher than the average of 6% in French museums), 65% are local or surrounding residents, and 84% are French. In addition to the 870,000 visitors in the first year, it has since averaged about 500,000 people, making it the third most visited regional museum in France.
In this sense, the Louvre Lens branch is undoubtedly successful and worthwhile. Although the purpose of the government is different, it is undoubtedly important to have long-term urban planning in the early stage and fully consider the needs of "people".
The Victoria and Albert Museum Dundee, located in Scotland, was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
Finally, for the audience, whether it is worth opening a branch library is more divergent and the standards are different. Some viewers value the first look at the building, such as the V&A Dundee branch library, which was described by locals as "boring" and "ugly" after its completion, although the Times listed it as one of the most visited buildings of the year; Some audiences are not interested in art, such as the Lens branch of the Louvre, which some locals believe is an act of "dignity and dignity" and does not solve economic and historical problems. For art lovers, seeing masterpieces such as Delacroix up close is exciting.
Eugène Delacroix's masterpiece La Liberté guidant le peuple (Liberty Leading the People) was exhibited at the Lens branch of the Louvre, causing spectators to watch and admire it.
Therefore, the question of whether it is worth the museum to spend a lot of money to open a branch library involves multiple perspectives behind it, and it is impossible to conclude from a single perspective. However, one thing is certain, as more and more branch libraries approach local and international audiences, this similar "market sinking" approach makes rich and diversified exhibitions no longer just the exclusive benefits of first-tier cities, and visiting museums and participating in cultural and artistic activities have gradually entered people's daily lives, becoming a way of life, rather than exclusive to elites. If there were a world-class museum opening a branch in your city, would you approve or disagree? Welcome to leave a message to share your views.
Editor, text Zhang Jianlei
This article was originally created by Harper's Bazaar Art Department and may not be reproduced without permission