In addressing the question of how audience expectations are changing, Thomas Lax, curator of performance at MoMA, addresses the reality that many museum visitors “lead with their iPads and smartphones.” The best contemporary art, he says, doesn’t ignore this reality but instead looks at how our experience of being mediated through our gadgets is part of our sense of presence.
Thomas J. Lax was appointed associate curator of media and performance art at the Museum of Modern Art in May 2014. Previously he worked at the Studio Museum in Harlem, where he was most recently assistant curator. His interests include American and international contemporary art, with a focus on performance and video, as well as politically and socially engaged practices in all media.
