The Institution and Its Intentions

On the place, role, and future of cultural institutions in the twenty-first century.

This publication collects and preserves the ideas put forward during the symposium "A Model: Reimagining Museums," which took place at Mudam, the Contemporary Art Museum of Luxembourg, in June 2024. The convening explored the mission of museums today and examined how contemporary institutions can continue to serve as sources of culture, preservation, education, and community in the future. The symposium marked the final chapter of a broader program dedicated to examining the museum as a model. The series was introduced by "A Model," a three-part exhibition curated by Bettina Steinbrügge that reflected on the role of the museum in the twenty-first century, reaffirming the need to consider the institution a dynamic, living place, sensitive and receptive to contemporary debates. It also considered the possibilities that arise when museum collections are reimagined as active and performative environments. More than thirty artists were involved - some conceiving new commissions, others responding to works in Mudam's collection. This publication bridges the exhibition and the symposium's reflections. It features contributions by Giulia Bellinetti, Clémentine Deliss, Ben Eastham, Claire Fontaine, António Mendes, Gabi Ngcobo, Florence Ostende, Agustín Pérez Rubio, and Bettina Steinbrügge. Copublished with Mudam Luxembourg--Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean.