The uses and places of photography in art museums

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to identify and evaluate the moment when photography turns into a work of art, departing from being a mere utilitarian instrument to the service of art, assuming cult value and, consequently, arousing museological interest. The historical period of this turning point in the uses of photography is marked by its relations with an emerging conceptual art at 60’s and 70’s, and also by its criticism and theory, that gave rise to texts and authors still cited in photography’s researches. Recently, when museums and collections have entered the digital environment, its utilitarian function have become increasingly essential, and its place as work of art increasingly diluted in contemporaneity.