Simon Knell, The Museum’s Borders: On the Challenge of Knowing and Remembering Well (London: Routledge, 2021 [2020]). Included in this examination of the role of disciplines and institutions in bordering the world is reflection on the ethics of the discipline of art history (ch. 3) and an investigation of border formation and negotiation associated with Black art and artists in the USA (ch. 4). Follow the above link for full details of the content of this book plus free access to an updated version of Chapter 1.

Simon Knell, ‘Modernisms: curating art’s past in the global present’, in Simon Knell (ed.), The Contemporary Museum: Shaping Museums for the Global Now (London: Routledge, 2019 [2018]), 13-36. This paper reflects on the attempts of art historians to embrace the new global reality. It proposes situated modernities and situated modernisms as an ethical response. Follow the above link to access full details of the contributions to this book and free access to the ‘accepted manuscript’ version of this chapter.

Simon Knell, National Galleries: The Art of Making Nations (London: Routledge, 2016). The first global study of national galleries (or national museums of fine art). It examines the nature, history, architecture, and curatorial practices of these institutions, looking particularly at how they construct the nation and international and national art. Follow the above link to access a full description of the content of this book and free access to the accepted manuscript version of chapter 1.

Simon Knell, ‘The gift of historical consciousness: museums, art and poverty’, in Viviane Gosselin and Phaedra Livingstone (eds), Museums and the Past: Constructing Historical Consciousness, (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2016), 206-222. A study of social boundaries in Vancouver and the transgressions of museums and artists.