What is Art Institutions

The chapter offers an overview of dynamic processes changing the role and place of museums and art galleries in our societies. After many decades of being static displays of things, they are now changing into places of interaction and communication on a variety of levels. The text is presenting some current patterns of developing a sense of collective belonging and also it is looking at the communication processes between institutions and visitors with a focus on the role of digital technologies and social media in the process of preserving, narrating, and sharing the object of art and beauty. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework for further research on digital practice linked with contemporary social identities and art institutions that are a significant social institution with public value and the ability to link the local cultural heritage global context.