The Return of Curiosity

What Museums are Good For in the 21st Century

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art
Cover of the book The Return of Curiosity by Nicholas Thomas, Reaktion Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nicholas Thomas ISBN: 9781780237039
Publisher: Reaktion Books Publication: August 15, 2016
Imprint: Reaktion Books Language: English
Author: Nicholas Thomas
ISBN: 9781780237039
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Publication: August 15, 2016
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Language: English

The Spy Museum, the Vacuum Cleaner Museum, the National Mustard Museum—not to mention the Art Institute, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Getty Center: museums have never been more robust, curating just about everything there is and assuming a new prominence in public life. The Return of Curiosity explores museums in the modern age, offering a fresh perspective on some of our most important cultural institutions and the vital function they serve as stewards of human and natural history.
            Reflecting on art galleries, science and history institutions, and collections all around the world, Nicholas Thomas argues that, in times marked by incredible insecurity and turbulence, museums help us sustain and enrich society. Moreover, they stimulate us to think in new ways about our world, compelling our curiosity and showing us the importance of understanding one another. Thomas looks at museums not simply as storehouses of old things but as the products of meaningful relationships between curators, the public, history, and culture. These relationships, he shows, don’t always go smoothly, but they do always offer new insights into the many ways we value—and try to preserve—the world we live in.
            The result is a refreshing and hopeful look at museums as a cultural force, one that, by gathering together paintings, tropical birds, antiques, or even our own bodies, offers an illuminating reflection of who we are.
 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Spy Museum, the Vacuum Cleaner Museum, the National Mustard Museum—not to mention the Art Institute, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Getty Center: museums have never been more robust, curating just about everything there is and assuming a new prominence in public life. The Return of Curiosity explores museums in the modern age, offering a fresh perspective on some of our most important cultural institutions and the vital function they serve as stewards of human and natural history.
            Reflecting on art galleries, science and history institutions, and collections all around the world, Nicholas Thomas argues that, in times marked by incredible insecurity and turbulence, museums help us sustain and enrich society. Moreover, they stimulate us to think in new ways about our world, compelling our curiosity and showing us the importance of understanding one another. Thomas looks at museums not simply as storehouses of old things but as the products of meaningful relationships between curators, the public, history, and culture. These relationships, he shows, don’t always go smoothly, but they do always offer new insights into the many ways we value—and try to preserve—the world we live in.
            The result is a refreshing and hopeful look at museums as a cultural force, one that, by gathering together paintings, tropical birds, antiques, or even our own bodies, offers an illuminating reflection of who we are.
 

More books from Reaktion Books

Cover of the book A Philosophy of Freedom by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Peacock by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Edgar Allan Poe by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Altered States by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Carnation by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Herman Melville by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Prague by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book From Demons to Dracula by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Drive by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Great Economic Thinkers by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book A Philosophy of Discomfort by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Claude Debussy by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Health and Illness by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Beef by Nicholas Thomas
Cover of the book Digital Culture by Nicholas Thomas
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy