Museums in cultural context

This chapter discusses cultural complexes and museum districts under which museums dedicated to contemporary art operate. In particular, many such places are found in Hungary, where the process of their creation provides an opportunity to present the relationship between cultural institutions and politics. My goal is primarily to show the diverse nature of these undertakings and to draw attention to the importance of context for a museum&s;s identity. I have placed Hungarian and Polish cultural districts and complexes within three groups: 1) those operating under one roof, 2) museum districts, and 3) art/trade/entertainment complexes.