The battle that erupted months ago between the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA) and Swiss artist Christoph Büchel over whether Büchel’s planned installation should open as scheduled (the artist wanted it canceled, claiming that the museum was trying to get the exhibit on the cheap) has become a cautionary tale for museums across the country. “The meltdown at Mass MOCA is sad for all concerned, yet is also a reflection of the changes wrought since the late 1960s, as installation art evolved from renegade form into an institutional staple of ever-bigger galleries and museums.”