You know what I think? I think the Te Papa squid dissection and the Auckland Museum's shark necropsy have changed the game. They took behind-the-scenes business-as-(kinda)-usual activities, and turned them into scientific spectacles that the public lapped up.
After thinking this, I started wondering - what have art galleries here in NZ done in the past 20 years that have changed the game? And I can't think of anything. Am I missing something here, or has it just been same-old same-old for the past 2 decades?
2 comments:
It's all about reality TV, but in, err, real life :) Surely having artists create art live onsite counts? Except to equal squidtacular it would probably only count if it's a well-known artist (ie. from overseas, sigh), or someone creating some controvertial installation? Though I guess that's semi front-of-house. I'm not sure if, say, doing repairs on stolen artworks would draw enough punters... Now, Cops with Cameras was on tonite - maybe that's a source of inspiration???
One of the best art lectures I've ever been to was Roger Blackly talking about the gunman who stole the Auckland Art Gallery's Tissot in a daylight raid to furnish a love next for his Russian bride-to-be (some aspects of that sentence may be the result of faulty recall).
While staging thefts during opening hours might be taking it a step too far, having conservators working on collection items in public spaces is happening in the States. I've watched a conservator wash a map - it's fascinating and occasionally terrifying stuff.
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