Thomas Campbell - Weaving narratives in museum galleries
https://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_p_campbell_weaving_narratives_in_museum_galleries
I found this talk fascinating. Thomas
Campbell, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, spoke
eruditely and hilariously throughout.
He reflected on the dangers of the jargon often used by
classically trained art historians in curatorship. This kind of lens ignores
the reality that all art was once contemporary. And that to deny this, removes
the power and value of the work.
He encourages us the viewer to ask basic questions of art
and historical objects as a challenge to this more formal and academic
approach: what is it, what is it made of, how was it used and who by?
He expanded on this by talking about his studies on
tapestries. He explained that the reason they were so popular is because of
their ergonomics. They are portable, they are large, and they were hugely
expensive to make. And so at a time where visual imagery was rare, tapestries
thrived because they were transportable forms of propaganda that also served as
a clear status symbol.
He then went on to explain his role in the Alexander McQueen
exhibition, following the designer’s death. One of his curators went to London
for a summer to collaborate with those close to the iconic fashion designer on
how best to share his collection. This resulted in a total structural rework of
the Met galleries, so that they could recreate McQueen's first studio. They
generated a totally immersive experience that made his pieces feel like living
sculpture.; fusing fashion with installation, sound and light He lays the
success of the show at the feet of its curator, whose time connecting with the
McQueen designers had allowed them to create a transcendental experience that
truly honoured the rawness, and the brilliance of the work displayed.
His enthusiasm and expertise is captivating. Hearing him
talk so passionately about his work, and his commitment to empowering the team
of curators he works with, illustrates succinctly why he holds the position
that he does. He derives genuine pleasure from sharing art with audience and
takes his role as a curator to an almost religious level. I really resonated
with his take on how important it is to unpack the objects on display so that
they are accessible to a general audience, free from distraction.
He spoke passionately about breaking down the elitism and
the other barriers that exist for some in relation to gallery space. He strives
to create spaces that prompt curiosity and invite audience to be vulnerable and
therefore touched by the art on show.
His talk left me feeling thoroughly emotional. His ending
statements about how galleries are portals for humanity, full of people long
dead but who also held dreams, hopes and frustration just like our own, was
incredibly moving. Because, as he said the process of connecting with them
makes us immortal and helps us better connect with our own lives, rich and
embedded in our own specific version of reality as they are.
What a privilege to have your work in the care of such a
visionary and considerate curator team. It makes me reflect on my own desires
to exhibit as an established artist. I would feel lucky to collaborate with a
human half as generous in manner and skill as Campbell.
