© OMA

Riga Contemporary Art Museum

Over the past 20 years two types of spaces have come to dominate the display of art:
1. The 'pristine white room', representing the view that the display of art is best served by an absence of context, allowing the work to 'shine' autonomously and be perceived in its own right.
2. The 'appropriated backdrop': often old industrial remains, which are to provide 'added drama' to the artwork. Such spaces have also in part accommodated a trend where the contemporary artwork has become increasingly extravagant and occasionally too big to be housed in traditional museum spaces.