Deaccessioning: being a profession means the strength to follow one’s mission

I am, it seems, poor company, easily disqualified by being labelled a “cultural Marxist,” even though one may rightly reject such ideological nonsense. Public institutions, at least in the European sense, must possess a public mind and public behaviour. The facets through which they demonstrate this are numerous; indeed, their entire nature should make this evident.

Within the framework of a profession, various forms of misunderstanding - or even betrayal - of the basic values on which these institutions rest are often treated lightly, or unnecessarily theorized and endlessly discussed. Yet institutions of public memory, quite simply, must remain a free service - free, that is, in principle. (Yes, because they are neither inherently expensive nor a luxury. Long ago, I calculated that for the cost of a single aircraft carrier, one could build fifty Guggenheim Bilbao museums.)

Deaccessioning, for instance, should remain exceptional and merely palliative. The temptation is always to see the works as assets that could be sold or rented out. Why not consider redistribution within the sector, if it is united by a strategy of contributing to the development of society? Any question concerning deaccessioning can, in fact, be resolved by understanding the nature of memory institutions and the very essence of the social contract. Even a thoughtful religious person - though often inclined to delegate the task of defining life’s criteria to clergy - would find such reasoning sound. Secular society, for its part, invented the state as an instrument of the social contract: a framework within which professions, composed of the best among us, are entrusted with the task of defining criteria and providing protection against the threats to which every society is exposed.

I have long believed that we deserve a shared, overarching profession, endowed with all the attributes of a science. I was perhaps deliberately provocative in advancing this idea, including through my book Mnemosophy…. Some reflections along these lines may be found at https://www.mnemosophy.com/. Most people’s interests remain confined within narrow compartments - much as is the case, at their own level, with many scientists. Yet it is always the awareness of the broader context, the capacity to connect what is usually kept apart, that provides answers to particular questions.

When trying to find a picture that would attract the mind of the potential reader, I have found a beautiful photo from Louvre (no direct connection to the problem discussed), already used by an American colleague. It is wonderful, professional text and I would highly recommend it: https://artemundi.com/two-wrongs-dont-make-a-right/