119 Fine Print: The Ethics and Legality of Deaccessioning in Desperate Times
By Ryan Su

New York
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Covid-19 has wreaked havoc all over the world. UNESCO and the International Council of Museums have estimated that 13 percent of the world’s museums may never reopen again, and that 20 percent of museum workers have lost their jobs. Art institutions have not been spared. It is anticipated that the situation will further deteriorate. We have to grapple with questions regarding the pandemic’s impact on the world’s shared cultural wealth, as well as how museums can benefit society’s development in the wake of such closures and within a drastically changing landscape.