Jackson Pollock painting No. 16 is at the center of controversy in Brazil as the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio puts the work up for sale. Image: MAM

ART NEWS

To deal with financial struggles and meet future financial obligations, the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio sparked controversy as it prepares to sell the only Jackson Pollock painting on public view in Brazil.

BY KAZAD

BRAZIL— In an effort to offset a budget deficit of around 1.5 million reais (around $450, 000), and actualize plan for future developments, The Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio is planning to deaccession an important artwork from its collection.  The work to be sold is No 16 (1950) by Jackson Pollock. The painting, an oil on Masonite, is the only work by the artist on view in Brazil.  It was donated in 1954, a year before the museum’s building in Flamengo Park was completed by the American philanthropist and politician Nelson Rockefeller, who was MAM’s vice-president.

Based on the evaluation, the painting can fetch as much as $25 million if sold in an auction. However, before the work goes on sale in an international auction house, MAM will make efforts to see if the work can remain in Brazil. As a first step, MAM will seek for buyers among museums and private collections in Brazil. “We hope the buyer will be Brazilian, and that they will keep the work at MAM or at another museum in the country,” said MAM President Carlos Alberto Chateaubriand. But, if there are no good offers, the museum will approach an international auction house such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Philips, and Heritage to put the work on sale.

A private non- profit institution, MAM does not receive any governmental funding. If MAM must survive the next decade, the sale of the Jackson Pollock painting is imperative.  Sponsorships, donations, and fees have not been able to sustain the museum. The lack of adequate funding made looking for other sources imperative.  Since the museum has to continue to function, the museum found it necessary to put the work up for sale.

The decision has sparked mixed reactions in Brazil. One of the major supports of MAM’s move to sell No 16 by Jackson Pollock is The Brazilian Ministry of Culture. In a March 20, 2018 statement, the Ministry lends its support, noting that it “recognizes and value the autonomy of the MAM to ensure the conservation of the museum’s remaining collection”.  Additionally, the Ministry explained that “Although the work is of unquestionable relevance, its sale alone is sufficient to raise the necessary resources to create an endowment that will ensure the sustainability of the museum.  To conclude, the Ministry contends that with the sale of the painting, the museum will “become less vulnerable to the crisis and less dependent on donations and sponsorship”.

However, not everyone is in support of the planned sale of the painting. The Brazilian Institute of Museums (IBRAM) has been at the forefront in protesting the proposed sale of this important artwork.  A branch of the Brazilian Ministry of Culture that oversees 30 public museums, IBRAM has publicly opposed the sale of the Jackson Pollock painting. On March 19, 2018, a day before the Brazilian Ministry of Culture released its statement, IBRAM released a letter advising MAM to reconsider the decision of the proposed sale.  While acknowledging the financial difficulties MAM was going through, the group explained that the museum needs to understand that the preservation of its collection is imperative. Additionally, the group reminded  MAM about the ethical precepts on museums management, which states that a work of art can only be sold to fund other acquisitions and enhance the collection.  As a way out, IBRAM offered to help MAM find other solutions to its financial challenges.

Individuals have also challenged the proposed sale of the painting. In a recent post on Facebook, Marta Mestre, a former assistant curator at the museum hopes that the sale will never materialize.  For her, there are other ways to deal with the museum’s financial difficulties without the sale of this important work from its collection. The Jackson Pollock painting, Mestre explains, has a significant relevance in Brazilian history.  “It was a donation and one of the few works of art that survived the historic fire that happened on MAM in 1976, which destroyed 90% of its collection of nearly 1, 000 works of art.”  The work she noted “tells a fundamental story of Modern art and Brazil.

In spite of all the protests, MAM is determined to go ahead with the sale of No 16.  In an interview published in Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, the president of MAM Carlos Alberto Chateaubriand defended the museum’s decision to sell the painting. He contended that this kind of procedure is “common in North American and European museums.” Moreover, he added, “We have to take care of all our costs,” he said.  Although he acknowledged the proposal made by IBRAM to help in finding alternate ways to deal with the museums financial situation, Chateaubriand quibbled that in the end the museum still has to pay the bills.

Should museums be selling their collection to deal with financial difficulties just as the Museum of Modern Art in Rio is doing with the Jackson Pollock painting? Share your views.