Work description by Manuela Ammer

Snippets of conversation and background noises are heard from a loudspeaker installed next to an arbitrarily chosen work of art. Andrea Fraser secretely recorded a dinner party put on by the trustees of a medium-sized American art museum: general art-related chatter mixes with the clinking of glasses and clattering of cutlery and conversations about the food, family, friends, furniture and furnishings. The artwork becomes the mute witness to a narrative that addresses the relationship between the public and non-public side of the art industry. Dinner Party opens the doors of the museum as a temple of esthetic contemplation to a discourse that shows the role of art within everyday culture and social exchange. At the same time, the small talk among the benefactors also highlights the financial and political circumstances surrounding the art industry, which are usually not addressed in museums.

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