Abstract:
It has become almost clichéd to introduce yet another
“project space” within the confines of the modern art
museum, considering how the model has proliferated
globally in the past decade.
1
How did we, in such a
short period of time, reach this point of self-referential
superabundance? What do these “project spaces”
offer? What concerns do they speak to? Several claim
to offer insights into lesser studied or suppressed
stories within the experience of modern art; or at
least begin to acknowledge the silences inhabiting
exhibitionary projects due to social prejudice, caused
by historical and contemporary biases. Many “project
spaces” seek to generate narratives through case
studies gathered under a shared curatorial thematic.
Some even push the envelope of the modern by
resuscitating non-Western cultural objects, which
are often bereft of “authorship” (at least in terms of
how traditionalist streams of art history register the
creator), in innovative ways. Many of these objects had
entered museum collections in the former metropoles
and colonies via the insults of colonialism. Another
approach emphasises engaging contemporary artists
who are at the forefront of innovations in their field.
These contemporary artists investigate museum
collections as a means of bridging the silences of the
past with the urgencies of the present. As museums
become more willing to interrogate themselves on
aesthetic and political grounds, some have even begun
to facilitate “takeovers” of their “project spaces” by
constituents linked to social justice movements.
