New York, October 12, 2008

Dear Art Museum,

Please stop attracting the masses. For centuries, you have tried to enlighten them, but to no avail. You and I both know that ordinary people, while having an insatiable hunger for spectacle, do not really care about art.

In recent years, I have seen the masses invade the art museum with absurd expectations to be entertained, celebrated, wined and dined. This must stop. Let the populace fulfill its base cravings somewhere else. Do not allow the museum to be desecrated any longer. Next time the hordes clamor for admission at your doorstep, keep your doors locked.

Stop bending over backwards to appease the crowds. Do not invest any more time, energy and resources to erect ever larger and more impressive buildings to accommodate just about everybody. Do not believe the mantra that you need to be exciting and accessible for all members of society. There is nothing for you to gain in having clueless tourists and families with their loud children swarm through your hallowed halls. The museum is not a shopping mall, kindergarten, or cool place to hang out. And what were you thinking when you started reaching out to minorities, such as the disenfranchised, drug addicts, and homeless? It is time that you come to terms with your true identity: an art museum does not exist for the masses; it exists for the chosen few who understand that art needs to be revered, not consumed or taken for granted.

There is still time to turn things around before the masses eat you up alive. Become exclusive! Take the art museum away from the masses and limit your accessibility to those who truly deserve it.

Sincerely,

Filip Noterdaeme
Director, HOMU