Collective Mobilization as a Mechanism for Cultural Democracy: The Case of Guggenheim Helsinki

Abstract While previous studies have examined cultural democracy in connection with cultural policies enacted by policymakers, they have overlooked the role of public participation and mobilization. This study explores how cultural democracy is achieved by collective mobilization. Our case study of Guggenheim Helsinki shows that rising cultural globalization triggered a social movement to resist diminishing representation of national identity. A bottom-up process of collective mobilization created pressures on policymakers to direct cultural policies toward maintaining the dominance of local culture. In particular, cultural democracy was delivered through public participation in the control of culture while rejecting cultural globalization.