The Experience of Art, the Room and the Phenomenon : Temporary Art Exhibitions in The Public Libraries

The main purpose of this master thesis is to give the reader a picture of the experience of art and of its room in the public libraries, but above all to examine the phenomenon temporary art exhibitions in public libraries in the county of Östergötland. The study is limited to a specific activity of art, namely temporary exhibitions in libraries. Geographically, the investigation is limited to the public libraries and their branch libraries in Östergötland. Time concentrates on the present situation in 2000 and 2001. Methodologies are partly observations in some libraries, partly qualitative questionnaires to all primary libraries and their affiliates in Östergötland. A similar questionnaire has been given out to various kinds of artists that is professionals and hobby artists of which some have participated and some have not participated in library exhibitions. To my research Habermas' theory of Civil publicity and Bourdieu's theory of Positions within a field have been applied. According to Habermas the experience of art can be explained as a public debate and the showroom as a public room. With Bourdieu, one can explain the phenomenon of temporary art exhibition as a battlefield of art. My results, based on observations and questionnaires, show that art exhibitions do exist in libraries and their affiliates in the county of Östergötland. In some cases, cultural policy goals seem to have influenced the libraries decision on what pieces of art to accept for the exhibitions, in other cases personal taste seems to be decisive. Finally, my conclusion is that there is a large range of variation between cultural policy goals in the communities and the attitude toward temporary art exhibitions among libraries and the parties concerned.Uppsatsnivå: