THE IMAGINARY MUSEUM IDEA

Andre Malraux and his inspirators Alfred Salmony and Henry Parrmentier ~ adventure with Clara in Cambodia ~ from temple looter to minister of culture ~ sculptures from different cultures, materials and sizes unified by photography in books that become 'imaginary museums' ~ Malraux presents art as a unifying and universal force of mankind in books and exhibitions ~ some doubt his method... washing away too many layers of history ~ George Duthuit finds Malraux's museum "inimaginable" ~ Malraux, as an ally of De Gaulle, ends up demonstrating against the movement of Mai 68 with its slogan "power to the imagination"

THE MUSEUM OF LOOTINGS AND THE LOOTING OF MUSEUMS

Is there a clear destinction between an archeologistl digging up the past or the work of a tomb raider? ~ museums are filled with objects intended for the hereafter ~ dead bodies mumified by man or exceptual circumstances become a public thrill ~ new wars fought on old soil bring antique booty ~ churches are desecrated ~ schrines become objects of art ~ winners and losers grabble for spoils ~ Internet search lists of stolen goods create 'virtual museums' of artworks in diaspora.

GRAND TOUR AND DETOUR - IN FACT OR EFFECT

The fortunate make their 'grand tour' widening their horizon seeing other countries, cities, monuments and art while having fun ~ for the less fortunate there are peep boxes and shows to have at least a glimpse ~ tracings from camera obscura and camera lucida, panorama buildings and cinematic devices let the masses travel beyond their actual means, be it in a surrogate world ~ modern travel reverses this principle the landscape becomes a movie ultimately vanishing behind digital blinkers

ORDERING THE MUSEUM TO MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD

Aristotle's categories: basic elements to describe how the world fits together ~ Lull's, Camapanella's, Kicher's and Leibniz's represenatations of knowledge: the biblical world becomes measurable and calculable ~ Things of nature and man made, fixed in words and ordered in lists and cabinets ~ Reordering the art chambers into a walk through time and style ~ Duplicating techniques of text, image and sound create opportunities for many to make their own associations and arrangements.