Ever wanted to go behind the scenes in a museum? Have you wondered how are works are packed, preserved, stored and cared for? Join RMIT Collections Coordinator Jon Buckingham on Tuesday 26 July from 1-2 pm at RMIT Gallery as he provides an insight into the aspect of an art collection most people never see.
Buckingham is lead curator of the current RMIT Gallery exhibition Quiddity, which is drawn entirely from the RMIT Art Collection. The exhibition approaches a materially diverse array of artworks from the perspective of the conservator and the registrar in order to emphasise their physicality, explore the limitations environment and entropy place on their display, and reveal something of their existence outside the context of an exhibition.
Works are displayed on storeroom boxes, crates and on wire racks, recreating the ‘secret life’ of the works when they are not displayed in exhibitions.
Quiddity has been produced in collaboration between RMIT Gallery and students from the RMIT Master of Arts Management program. In this talk, lead curator Jon Buckingham will explore how artworks are handled, packaged, stored and conserved.
“When on display, artworks naturally tend to be viewed within a carefully constructed cultural, historical or thematic context. Behind the scenes though, aesthetic and cultural significance are at least on an equal footing with – and sometimes must play second fiddle to – physical requirements if a collection is to have any life expectancy,” Buckingham said.
“Artworks are scrutinised in minute detail. They must be catalogued, researched, regularly monitored for change, and appropriately stored.”
What: Quiddity curator talk with Jon Buckingham.
When: Tuesday 26 July
Time: 1-2 pm
Where: RMIT Gallery, 344 Swanston Street, Melbourne.
Bookings: Free – register to attend
RMIT Gallery 