Museo contemporaneo

The evolution of museums, from eighteenth-century ones celebrating power and preserving historical, artistic, and archaeological heritage, to nineteenth-century ones (such as the British Museum and the Louvre), created to educate the public and celebrate progress, reflects social and political changes over time. In subsequent centuries, American museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum, distinguished themselves for their naturalistic and historical missions, while postwar museums, such as the Centre Pompidou, reflected the influence of mass culture. Contemporary creations by “starchitects,” such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao, attract visitors with their unusual forms. However, this evolution has led to the emergence of “museums of themselves,” which prioritize self-referentiality and tourist attraction over the transmission of culture and memory.