A transatlantic partnership between the Tate and New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) over an ambitious internet venture has been ended. Costing an estimated $60 million to launch, the jointly owned site would have been “the premier destination” for those wanting to “access, understand and purchase the best in modern art, design and culture.”
A year ago it was announced that the two galleries were near to completing a business plan for the commercial venture, which might eventually have been floated on the stock exchange, raising major capital sums for them. The new website had been intended to run alongside their individual existing sites (www.tate.org.uk and www.moma.org).
In a terse joint statement, the two museums now say they “will not be collaborating on an internet venture, but the partnership will continue with the focus on other projects.” The Art Newspaper understands that it was the Tate which decided to pull out, mainly because of the current financial problems in e-commerce. MoMA is to continue by itself with a slightly different venture, which will not be a dedicated on-line project, but will also sell through traditional outlets, such as mail order and shops. MoMA director Glenn Lowry admitted that “we’ve decided to continue alone and are happy to do so.” MoMA’s more modest new company is to operate separately from the museum, but profits will be channelled back.
In a separate move, Tate communications director Damien Whitmore will be moving to New York in August, to take over as MoMA’s deputy director of marketing and communications. The two galleries are also cooperating over a blockbuster exhibition on Picasso and Matisse, which will open at the Tate (May 2002), before going on to the Grand Palais in Paris (September 2002) and MoMA (February 2003).
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'MoMA-Tate web divorce'