The Power of the Real

“With the development of new media, some argued that museums and galleries would become redundant. Why go to the MCA when you can see the great works of art from around the world online? Yet attendance at many museums and galleries has continued to rise. This is what I call ‘the power of the real’ – the experience of encountering the real thing can never be replicated online.”

The Power of the Real chronicles Elizabeth Ann Macgregor’s transformation of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia from near-bankruptcy into a world-class cultural institution.

When Macgregor was appointed director in 1999, peers warned her off the museum, its city, and even its country. Not without reason: the MCA was mired in a battle for control that reflected Australia's complex cultural politics.

Drawing on her experiences bringing art to the wider public – driving a travelling gallery around Scotland and leading Birmingham’s acclaimed Ikon Gallery – Macgregor relates what she noticed as an outsider on her way to becoming an insider. She reveals the bold strategies that revitalised the MCA: free access, team building and collaboration, community engagement and political negotiation – amid funding challenges and intense public scrutiny. Through it all, Macgregor demonstrates her unwavering belief in the power of art and artists to shape society.

Part memoir, part cultural blueprint, The Power of the Real offers vital and candid insights into leadership, resilience and the intersections of art, politics and public life.