The Best is Not Too Good for You: New Approaches to Public Collections in England

(Paperback)

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The role of philanthropy in public collections across the UK is explored in this landmark collaboration between the Contemporary Art Society and the Whitechapel Gallery. Drawing on the collections of regional museums, art and social reform, subjective notions of value, and the individual's relationship to collections are debated and explored. Ceramics and Pop Art sit in these pages alongside magic lanterns, demarcating the early origins of cinema, before moving on to an exploration of new technologies. Documenting four unique exhibitions at the Whitechapel Gallery over the course of a year, this publication includes newly commissioned texts exploring the complexity of collecting, exhibiting and curating in England today. With contributions from: Anna Colin, Matthew Darbyshire, Helen Kaplinsky, Helen Rees Leahy, Ingrid Swenson and Gaia Tedone.