Thursday, July 18, 2013

How does a museum develop? Know here…

A new installation project, involving visitors, raises specific questions about exactly how a museum develops. It seeks public participation in a very unique way wherein everyone is encouraged to think about certain objects, memories and also how they’re preserved.

A contemporary installation in the atrium of the Peranakan Museum in Singapore explores the nature of collecting, and asks how a museum develops. Issues of archaeology, memory, connoisseurship, and rebirth are taken up by the artist Lee Mingwei, whose project invites visitors to participate in creating new work. Audience participation will also contribute permanently to the museum’s collection.

The work is inspired by Mingwei’s first visit to the Peranakan Museum. Upon entering, he recalled his grandparents’ home, where light cascading from the skylight, with sounds and aromas coming from different floors “became a sort of multisensory symphony in my mind”.

The design of the ‘Luminous Depths’ installation is done in collaboration with Desai Chia Architecture. The new project has been conceived for the space and existing collection of the museum, inspired by the internationally reputed artist’s first visit to the venue in 2011. ‘Luminous Depths’, as stated above, looks to explore the idea of collecting.

The installation is a three story cylindrical structure within the atrium of the Peranakan Museum. On entering visitors are able to hear a Schubert Lied (art song) being played from the top of the atrium. Visitors can choose and purchase a ceramic object and walk with it through the museum. Once they reach the third floor there is a large hoop that is suspended over the void of the atrium. The participants are invited to toss their chosen ceramic object into the void.

Meanwhile, on 19 July, the museum will pay homage to Peranakan Chinese traditions in a contemporary world. You can get to know another side of the museum by joining for themed evenings that include performances, art-making activities, celebrity talks apart from taking an active part in the 'Luminous Depths' installation.

No comments:

Post a Comment