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UMI® Playing the Cultural Field The Role of Outsourcing and Cultural Intermediaries in Art Museum Development Ann Danilevich A Thesis in The Department of Communication Studies Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Media Studies) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada September 2009 © Ann Danilevich, 2009 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-63188-1 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-63188-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1*1 Canada iii Abstract Playing the Cultural Field The Role of Outsourcing and Cultural Intermediaries in Art Museum Development Ann Danilevich This thesis explores the role of outsourcing in current museum developments through the case studies of the multinational companies Acoustiguide (a subsidiary of the Espro Acoustiguide Group) and Lord Cultural Resources in their chosen field of operation—museums, galleries and other cultural and heritage organizations. It examines their business operations against the backdrop of global museum transformations through an analysis of each company's economic, industrial, and discursive formations, and points to global flows of cultural exchange, as defined by Appadurai (1996), in an international field of cultural production. Bourdieu's concept of cultural intermediaries and field theory are central to this analysis. To meet the demands of the 21st century's increasingly global and technologically advanced world museums must balance traditional and contemporary roles. As a result, they have adopted and adapted certain organizational restructuring practices from the corporate sector. The relationship between these companies and museums is an exchange, with each ultimately influencing the development of the other. Keywords: cultural production; cultural intermediaries; museum; non-profit; outsourcing; globalization; technology; audio guide; Acoustiguide; Espro Aucoustiguide Group, Lord Cultural Resources, global consultancy; interpretation. IV For my parents Acknowledgements The ideas explored in this thesis germinated when I attended the blockbuster exhibition "Andy Warhol/Supernova: Stars, Deaths and Disasters 1962-1964" in the fall of 2006 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. This exhibition led me into further inquiry of blockbuster exhibitions, corporate sponsorship, museum branding, audio interpretation, museum transformations, and finally the companies Acoustiguide and Lord Cultural Resources—of whom I had only loosely heard of during my undergraduate years at the University of Toronto. This thesis has solidified my love for art and museums. It has opened my eyes to an incredible cultural industry, both in Canada and abroad, of which 1 would love to be a part. That being said, I would like to thank Charles Acland, my supervisor, whose insightful comments, encouragement, and "corporate speak" alerts challenged me and propelled this thesis forward. I am also extremely grateful to Monika Kin Gagnon, my second reader, who has encouraged, guided, and provided me with fantastic research opportunities throughout my entire MA career. Thank you to Haidee Wasson my third reader for her astute observations and enthusiasm. Thank you to all the wonderful professors I have had here at Concordia, each of whom contributed a part to the learning process that culminated in this thesis. I'd like to also thank the Department of Communication Studies and the Faculty of Arts and Science for their financial assistance. A thank you is also due to Alison Syme, Lisa Steele, Kim Tomczak, Mark Cheetham, and Jens Wollesen of the University of Toronto, who have inspired me to pursue graduate studies. Thank you to all of my interviewees, Brian Porter, Jane Burton, Barry Lord, vi and Kathryn Glass, as well as all the individuals with whom I was able to have informal discussions about my thesis topic—your input has been invaluable. A big thank you goes to my family, whose generous support not only facilitated the writing of this thesis, but also the many wonderful experiences I was fortunate to have in the past three years—thank you! A thank you is also due to the "thesis club" (Dallas, Brian, Jess, Mark and Peter), the "brunch club" (Rob, Amanda, and Jas), and the "art history crew" (Dina and Alena), whose wit, support, and joi de vivre have made these past few years in Montreal unforgettable. I would like to also thank Daniel, whose support, encouragement, and humour during the last few critical months of thesis writing has been indispensable. Last, but not least, thank you to my trusty Dell laptop, which has persevered despite its many travels and injuries. vii Table of Contents List of Figures, Photos, Tables, and Illustrations viii Introduction 1 Theoretical Framework and Methodology 5 Chapter Breakdown 11 Chapter 1 Art Museums and Cultural Industries: A Literature Review 13 Art Museums, Society and Meaning Production 13 Blockbuster Exhibitions and their Sponsors 17 Venue Expansion 20 Technology in the Museum 25 Museum Management and Organization 27 Cultural Industries and Cultural Intermediaries 30 Chapter 2 Audio Interpretation Production in Museums: A Case Study of Acoustiguide 44 Why Provide an Audio Tour? 49 Acousti guide Business and Market Profile 57 Acoustiguide in the Cultural Industries 69 Outsourcing and Production Control 76 Summary 87 Chapter 3 Consultancy and Museum Globalization: A Case Study of Lord Cultural Resources 92 Why Enlist the Help of Consultants? 96 Lord Cultural Resources Business and Market Profile 100 Consulting in the Cultural Industries 114 Summary 135 Conclusion Cultural Intermediaries and the International Field of Cultural Production 138 Bibliography 151 Appendix A 169 Appendix B 171 Appendix C 173 viii List of Figures, Photos, Tables, and Illustrations Photo 1 I listen to the Acoustiguide description of Alberto Geocometti 46 Illustration 1 Handheld Basics Mind Map 64 Table 1 The product specifications of the Espro Acoustiguide Group 67 Figure 1 The literary field of cultural production 145 Figure 2 The museum in the national and international fields of cultural production 147 1 Introduction A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment (ICOM and ICTP, quoted in Boylan 2002). A museum is first and foremost a social and cultural institution. It is also a vehicle of communication. Through interpretation of objects and ideas a museum promotes understanding of the social world. As society evolves, so do the values and expectations for museums, which have always needed to respond to the changing social world around them (see Merritt 2005). In the last quarter century, particularly in the last decade, we have witnessed many rapid changes across cultural and media industries, of which museums are a part. We have seen national institutional and cultural boundaries dissolve due to the rapid proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs); the rise of multinational media conglomerates; the increased movement of workers across national borders; and, a globalization of popular culture tastes (see Appadurai 1996). These global developments are changing the way that nations and their institutions are organized, the way they operate, and the products they produce, be it films, shoes, or cultural experiences. Culture and cultural products flow over national borders with increasing ease. Museums are perched in the midst of these massive cultural changes. We are currently witnessing a globalization of museums,