The Ends(s) of the Library
A library, like the Internet, is a constantly growing, endless entity, with new titles and media added daily. But the way we organize and collect the information within changes with the times, and it is with that in mind that the Goethe-Institut’s New York Library presents a show titled, “The End(s) of the Library.” Starting last November and ending in June, the exhibition is actually a continuing series of events and shows that aim to emphasize “the fact that the library is neither a monolithic system nor an abandoned utopia, but an ever-contested site demanding new readings of its organizational frameworks: an institution whose ends are without end.”
With that lofty goal in mind, they have passed the baton to Julieta Aranda, Fia Backström & R. Lyon, David Horvitz, Christian Philipp Müller, and The Serving Library to touch on everything from preserving an artist’s work to issues involved with digital rights and reappropriation. It’s not all panels and discussions though. The art and text itself is front and center in each event and showing, with the artist dealing with these issues in their own work as they display it and document the process. If it sounds confusing, the project’s website probably won’t clear things up, but it will most certainly draw you in with its vast range of content, as any good library should do.
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