The museum as event: The getty center's and the "fridays off the 405" experience

Abstract

As some cities have increasingly become huge entertainment centers, culture has turned into a key element fostering such a development. Art centers, concert halls and museums have mushroomed at an 'unprecedented rate, making use of a so-called "iconic architecture " in order to attract the largest possible number of visitors. Paradoxically, the competition to have the most spectacular building has not proved to be a sufficient enough stimulus, leading museums to put in place new strategies based on temporary events rather that on the materiality of their built environment. Drawing from recent debates in the cultural economy and architecture, this paper examines the changing role of the museu..