Curious Visitors
The Arts Council Collection at Aston Hall: 30 June – 9
September
The exhibition ‘Curious
Visitors’ at Aston Hall in Birmingham presents an alternative version of
the present, one more true to the actions of its previous owner James Watt in
the 19th Century, by displaying modern works of art alongside its
historic heirlooms. But did Aston Hall’s heritage-hunting punters leave with
their curiosity satisfied, or just feeling bewildered?
The works of
art have been carefully selected from the Arts Council Collection and strategically
placed around the Jacobean house to both blend in and surprise us.
The curation works on two levels, firstly in the literal
sense: the placing of the pieces and their subject matter. Secondly, they can
be considered in the conceptual sense: posing questions and challenging
conceptions.
The ‘Zabat’ series
of portraits by Maud Sulter are a perfect example of this duality. ‘Terpsichore’ and ‘Calliope’ disguise themselves in the Long Gallery beside Jacobian
portraits. Adorned in classical dress two black women pose for these large
photographs, raising issues surrounding the treatment of black people in art
and literature throughout the ages.
Peter Doig’s oil painting ‘Red Deer’ hangs comfortably in the Withdrawing Room reminding us
of the deer park that surrounded the Hall. Painted with the aid of a postcard
depicting stuffed deer, ‘Red Deer’
asks us to consider nature versus artificiality. The painting projects this
idea onto the creation of a deer park at Aston Hall through the taming of the
wild, as well as the reconstruction of its historic interiors.
However, these easy pieces do not prepare us for what is to
follow: a gigantic black plywood pineapple as a portrait, an upside down video
installation of the British Consul to China, a radio play of talking nocturnal
flowers, another video installation of a man dressing and undressing in super
slow motion.
The contextual links became increasingly threadbare and only
comprehendible with the aid of the exhibition guide which few of my fellow
visitors possessed. With no seats provided for viewing the videos, and the
noise of footsteps on the stairs overwhelming the radio play, few people
committed to giving the pieces the time they needed.
The infamous Arte Povera object (a wine bottle) entitled ‘Le vin du musée’ by Jannis Kounellis
was perfectly camouflaged in the Small Dining Room. A witty poke at the
conventions of art and museums, it works well in this location; challenging
ideas of heritage - but only for those in the know.
The exhibition guide states that “Aston Hall was one of the
country’s first examples of heritage merchandising”, along with its tea room
and souvenir shop it created a blueprint for open heritage properties all over
Britain which has been followed for over a century. In the 1990s organisations
like the National Trust were accused of encouraging a fictional retreat into
nostalgia. Aston Hall was shut as visitor numbers dwindled due to its
alienation from its local people. However both the NT and Aston reinvigorated
themselves with education and inclusivity at their hearts, and it worked. They
now feel confident to go against the status quo and expose their visitors to
contemporary art. Is it because the public is bored of historical houses? Or is
it a ruse to introduce the heritage hunters and contemporary art connoisseurs
to an alternative view? In theory this collaborative project could benefit both
institutions, but at the risk of alienating their usual customer bases. Was it
a risk worth taking?
Lovers of the complex conceptual nature of contemporary art
will enjoy the anachronism of television screens in Jacobean surroundings and
the surrealism of a gigantic fabric giraffe trapped in a library. But for many
the pieces represented the ‘elephant in the room’.
List of Works:
Peter Doig, ‘Red Deer’
(1990)
Maud Sulter, ‘Terpsichore’
and ‘Calliope’ from the ‘Zabat’ series, (1989-90)
Bettina Von Zwehl, ‘No.
3’ and ‘No. 6’ from ‘Profiles III’, (2005-06)
Toby Ziegler ‘Portrait
of C.L. (third version’), (2006) and ‘Je
t’adore, baby’, (2003-04) and ‘Comfort
or Death’, (2003-04)
Rosalind Nashashibi & Lucy Skaer, ‘Ambassador’, (2005)
Hilary Lloyd, ‘Colin
#2’, (1999)
Janice Kerbel, ‘Nick
Silver Can’t Sleep’, (2006)
Jannis Kounellis, ‘‘Le
vin du musée’, (1986)
Laura Ford, ‘Giraffe’,
(1998)
Michael Landy, ‘Cor!
What a Bargain!’ (from London Portfolio), (1992)
Emma Rushton, ‘Raphe’
and ‘Chris’ (Businessmen), (1992)
Related Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment