The following dissertation will focus on the social role of art curators within our society along
with the evolution of the concept of “Museum” since the beginning of the 20th century. This
research paper is based on my experience as an art curator and production assistant for the
company Cinq Etoiles Production on exhibitions such as Pernod Ricard’s art campaign
MINDSET, Médecins du Monde’s Mise Au Poing exhibition or Vichy Portrait(s). This
internship gave me insights into the organization of a cultural and artistic show, its mission and
the skills and the resources required to conduct it successfully.
Indeed, evolving in the field of exhibitions’ organization and especially photography made me
reflect upon the way people “use” museums and exhibitions and to what extend Art is essential
for society. More than presenting the work of artists for their aesthetical values, an exhibition
can raise awareness about issues, open debates on different subjects and enables us to project
ourselves forwards. Besides, museums serve as vectors of knowledge about our history, or
culture and other values and identities. Therefore, I began to realize that the most important
changes in society were due to artists and intellectuals who promoted open-mindedness,
multiculturalism, and alternative thinking. I wanted to understand how museums that were long
reserved for a small fraction of our society became able to address larger audience and educate
the public opinion. We will see during this research that just like any significant evolution of
society, the democratization of art and culture under all its forms had to overcome many
obstacles over the decades. We will also reflect upon the concept of “Museums” as art laboratory
and places of social interactions, why it should be politically-engaged and how to involve the
community in the process to achieve change within our society
