Symbolic Networks: How Museum Exhibitions Signal Artists for Historical Commemoration

• In Event: 078 - Section on Sociology of Culture Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 18. Symbols and Cultural Scripts

Abstract

Modern history is established relationally, with each generation building on the advancements of the prior and, in turn, contributing to those of the subsequent. Since history’s narrative is established relationally, understanding how connections build the reputation of historical personages is essential to understanding history’s construction. Focusing on relational importance for historic reputation, this research examines how contextualization of artists within art historical networks affects the commemoration of those artists. Using a population of 236 artists who first exhibited between 1946-1955 in three of the largest museums in the Netherlands (Boijmans, Stedelijk, and van Abbemuseum), we examine the connections curators create for artists through in-common exhibition and the effect on commemoration. Employing network analysis, we examine exhibition connections established for artists with prior (1930-1945), concurrent (1946-1955), and subsequent cohorts (1956-1989)—altogether examining connections across 540 exhibitions. Our findings indicate artists who exhibit with previous cohorts are significantly more likely to achieve historical commemoration, even when controlling for the artist’s individual recognition (solo museum exhibition). These results suggest the “symbolic network” created through museum exhibition matter for historical reputation, but only when artists are connected to those from the past, rather than future or own cohorts. This finding contradicts assumptions that artist continued relevancy is reliant on connections with the avant-garde, but rather indicates that strong connections to prior/established artists serves to signal which artists receive commemoration. Overall, the research provides insight on how symbolic networks and historical contextualization serve reputational development.

Authors

• Laura E. Braden, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Matthijs Punt, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Thomas Teekens, Erasmus University Rotterdam