NICOLAS BOURRIAUD IN DISGRACE: THE “CREATIVE LEADER” FIGURE AND LEGITIMACY CRITERIA IN THE ART WORLD

Abstract

Nicolas Bourriaud orchestrated his departure ceremony from the Paris School of Fine Arts after his dismissal ad nutum by the Minister of Culture. He staged a parody of it in front of his office at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, a scene we attended. We return to this episode to better understand the circumstances that preceded this final outburst and what followed within the institution and the art world. In order to better understand what is at stake, we identify a role, that of the “creative leader” designed to fulfil the mission of the directors of cultural and artistic institutions today. It is clear that the expectations of the many stakeholders, in addition to those of the public authorities, complicate the task of the chosen leader. Should the creative leader focus on development projects or on the search for additional funding to shore up the school’s walls? Should one favor the urgency of change or the long timeframe of structures that would transform themselves quietly in the great bath of a global environment? It seems that all of this must be done, yes, and at the same time. But there is no shortage of contradictions when it comes to considering these present changes in relation to the past and the future. In this text, we seek to understand the process of legitimization and de-legitimization of the “creative leader” and what this implies for the art world and artists, particularly in the present context.