The museums of wishes : A Study of two Complementary Projects by Moderna museet

This study examines the processes behind two of Moderna museets complementary projects: The Museum of Wishes and The Second Museum of Wishes. The purpose of this study is to, by using these projects, examine the connection between collections and collectors, and to examine the relationship between museums, complements of the collection and representation. The aim is to compare the projects and find out if there were different reasons, methods or other significant factors that might have affected the processes. I intend to explain how these projects can be understood as a practice of complementary collecting by relating them both to collection theory and representation. My theoretical framework primarily consist of Susan Pearce’s research. I have chosen to incorporate her concepts of the poetics of collecting, the politics of collecting and the importance of earlier collected experience in my comparative study of the projects. In addition, I have also incorporated research about categories with the intention of relating it to Pearce. By studying literature that discusses the historical aspect of the projects, as well as articles, catalogues and documents that were contemporary with the projects, I have been able to compare the backgrounds as well as ideologies that might have influenced the projects. The result of this study shows that although there were many differences between the methods and processes, the art works that were collected during the projects can both be interpreted as a physical changing of the collection, a changing of the structure of the collection and a changing of the identity of the museum. What the museum gathered during the projects didn’t just represent what the organizer thought the museum needed, but can also be understood as a way of changing the standard of the collection in order to be able to compete with other museums or gathering more knowledge. This study is a two years master’s thesis in Museums and Cultural and Heritage Studies