In conjunction with the creator’s artistic practice, this research develops the issue of the contemporary art spectator’s behaviors in art spaces in France.Art has integrated the visitor since the 1960’s, calling upon his participation or voluntarily keeping him at a distance. The works do not require a contemplative attitude anymore, but would rather the visitor be active or even an actor in the creation process. But observing these behaviors equally reveals a new relationship with art spaces: certain publics consider them a continuation of the street, which plays out in their reception of the artwork. The study of this new type of spectator brings about an inquiry of the tools with which organizations provide him so that his encounter with the artwork is not in vain: mediation is developed, a necessary guide, but also a potential obstacle to a personal interpretation. It is also a showcase of cultural democratization. Like other arts centers’ missions, mediation is meant to attract and develop the public’s loyalty, especially for those who are not aware of contemporary art.Consumption and leisure spaces can incite them to enter the exhibition space, which must be adapted to political requirements and to the often contradictory expectations of the artists and of the public. The creator gives his interests a visual form in an installation, using his own methods and thus translating the artwork’s meaning, hidden beneath mediation, and the different concerns around the public’s reception. What does the work of art become once the context takes center stage in the discussion on art itself ?