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Curated by the artist Barbara Jones (1912–1978) for the Whitechapel Gallery in London in 1951, Blackeyes and Lemonade was an exhibition of popular art or, what Jones defined as, "the things people make for themselves, or that are manufactured in their taste." The exhibits, which included a tiled fireplace in the shape of an Airedale dog, a giant anthropomorphic lemon, pub beer pulls, advertising posters, and industrially manufactured confectionary, posed a challenge to a codified and class-based conception of taste, fine art, and high culture that was prevalent in the post-war British museum. Through an analysis of the production and reception of Blackeyes and Lemonade, this paper charts the intellectual and practical battles Jones had to engage in to defend her selection and interpretation of objects, while simultaneously defining an unfamiliar branch of esthetic impulse and attempting to redirect what she called the "museum eye." Finally, the paper explores the role of the temporary exhibition in re-opening discussions about taste, class, and gender in the museum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Radical Stitch: Art Gallery of Hamilton, February 11–August 27, 2023" is an exhibition at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Canada, celebrating 37 artists across Turtle Island through beadwork. The show explores the relational network of artists and the sharing of cultural knowledge through beadwork as a form of storytelling. The exhibition, currently at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, showcases diverse perspectives and histories, confronting difficult pasts while highlighting the generosity and reciprocity embedded in beadwork as a language of shared experiences." [Extracted from the article]

Through a sustained engagement with The Precarious Life of the Parol, an installation art exhibition by the Filipinx artist Diane Williams, this essay theorizes "brown gathering": a quotidian practice of archiving that mobilizes the kinship networks of minoritarian subjects as an affective and circulatory infrastructure of collecting, preserving, and (re)signifying the objects of brown life. Brown gathering simultaneously attests to the intimacies of state violence and the practices of minoritarian subjects. In Parol, named after a Filipinx Christmas ornament of Spanish and native origin, Williams turns toward this curatorial practice of making art with trash objects as a way to reckon with the archival absences of Philippine history. This investigation of Williams's pieces, all made from trash objects that her family donated to her, concerns three categories: skeletal frames (wood and wire), used to explore archives of excess and mess; plastics, used to speak about the temporality of diaspora; and discarded food containers (SPAM cans and sauce mixes), used to theorize the politics of the brown body. These objects, like the brown subjects that signify them, are testaments to the ongoing plunder of empire and to what empire jettisons around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between October 2021 and January 2022 an ambitious combined art and science exhibition presented a unique object-rich cosmological story at the University Library of Leuven, Belgium, as part of the Kunst Leuven KNAL! City Festival 2021 (English: BANG! Big Bang City Festival). To the Edge of Time was a transdisciplinary introduction for general audiences to one of the most famous and complex developments in science, the Big Bang theory. The exhibition presented artworks and science objects as equal partners that through curatorial placement and interpretation could fluidly convey key theoretical moments, materials, philosophical perspectives and ideas. The scientific story focused on how the groundbreaking work of the Belgian priest-astronomer Georges Lemaître bridged the insights of two of the twentieth century's other leading European scientists, German physicist Albert Einstein and the British cosmologist Stephen Hawking. Objects from their lives and archives revealed their specific ideas and processes of thinking and discovery. Artworks from leading international artists brought new material, critical and conceptual dimensions and multisensory encounters. The exhibition was the result of a curatorial collaboration between the author, British contemporary art and transdisciplinary curator Hannah Redler-Hawes, and Belgian cosmologist and former collaborator of Stephen Hawking, Professor Thomas Hertog, of KU Leuven. As guest curators, they worked with Annelies Vogels, Exhibition Coordinator of the university and Wouter Daenen of KU Leuven Libraries, and others to form a closely collaborating curatorial team. To the Edge of Time was not only the first exhibition worldwide to explore Lemaître's work through a transdisciplinary narrative, but also to place Stephen Hawking's work in a broader historical context. In the trans- and interdisciplinary exhibition field, where new commissions and collaborations between living artists and scientists have been increasing, it was somewhat unusual for a cosmology exhibition in its reliance on material culture, concentration on historical art and science objects and its combining of these with presentations of recent contemporary art and advanced theoretical physics concepts. These combinations helped to convey parallel movements of thought where neither the art nor the science were presented as derivative to each other, a key curatorial ambition. This practice-based paper, offering Redler-Hawes's personal reflections, discusses how the narrative evolved to define a shared language between the contributors. It considers, through a narrated walk-through of key objectartwork 'constellations', how the presentation generated new insights into different methods of enquiry, knowledge acquisition and making sense of our place in the cosmos, by bringing major themes in twentieth century science into dialogue with international artists working independently and in collaboration with science during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay presents the first critical overview of the collection and display of art objects acquired by the Venetian nobleman Andrea di Nicolò Loredan (1450–1513). It focuses on the decoration of three key sites maintained by the Loredan clan: the governor's palace in Brescia, the location and contents of which are here identified for the first time; the Loredan palace on the Grand Canal in Venice; and the Loredan funerary chapel in the church of San Michele in Isola in the Venetian lagoon. Examination of Titian's grandiose easel painting the 'Flight into Egypt' (c.1507), recently discovered to have played a crucial role within the Loredan palace, helps to elucidate the range of material and devotional agendas of the art possessed by Andrea. Critical reconstruction of the Loredan collection is achieved through fresh attention to archival records, and a little-known panegyric (1504) by the Brescian friar Martino Codagnello. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines polyvalent reasons for the use of found objects by contemporary Zimbabwean artists. Data were generated through ethnographic interviews, observations, and analysis of textile artworks and sculptures by five contemporary artists. Results indicate that found objects can be up cycled to create artworks that attract international acclaim, which are subsequently exhibited in prestigious art galleries and museums. The use of found objects in the Zimbabwean context is often a response to the high cost and shortage of art materials. The study recommends the exploration of found objects as alternative art media to encourage environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of museum exhibitions has recently become a challenging issue due to the newly different conception of the Museum as a creative and interactive place, where people can be also close to the artefacts. The way of exhibit art objects needs accurate study to assure the simultaneous safety of both artefacts and visitors according to the current increasing safety standards. The earthquakes are the main cause of damage and even failure of art objects, especially in small museums and churches that are largely diffused all over Europe. Therefore, the low-cost protection of artefacts and visitors is key in earthquake-prone areas. In several cases art objects can be modelled as rigid bodies placed on a moving base. To capture their mechanical response, the Housner theory, developed at the beginning of the sixties, represents a valid and accurate tool. Based on this theory, this paper presents a new approach for the preservation of museum artefacts through a low-cost isolation strategy. Art objects are considered as rigid bodies placed on a shaking base and their response is modelled considering both rocking and sliding motions. This paper highlights the need for a correct optimisation of both base shape and friction coefficient in order to drive the artefact response in more stable dynamics regions. The proposed approach effectiveness is tested on a real case study, an acephalous marble statue in the Archaeological Museum of Paestum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study of a new look at the expositional activity of objects of contemporary art in the light of the definition of related artistic phenomena that exist between time-torn cultural epochs. The connection between digitalization, the development of innovative technologies and the influence of the subconscious experience passed down from past generations to descendants is considered. Emphasis is placed on the peculiarities of the evolution of modern art exhibitions, historically stated examples of transcendent personal perception of artistic symbols are given, which encourages consideration of the deep nature of human feelings and finding ways to directly influence the subconscious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(my emphasis) Demarco had just a few months to organise the exhibition, with Joseph Beuys as his main inspiration. The idea for the I Strategy: Get Arts i exhibition germinated in Gerhard Richter's studio 'on the 29 January 1970, two days after Richard Demarco left Edinburgh for Germany', as Christian Weikop puts it in his enthralling book about the exhibition. Another key decision by Demarco was to have George Oliver, husband of the B Guardian b art critic Cordelia Oliver, do most of the photographs, which included actual preparations for the exhibition before it opened. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a review of recent books on the artist David Hockney. It mentions various publications that delve into Hockney's work, including his own illustrated books, collections of conversations and interviews, and books on specific topics such as his designs for stage productions and his theories on the use of optical instruments by old masters. The review also highlights a biography by Christopher Simon Sykes that covers Hockney's life from 1937 to 1975, as well as a book of conversations with Hockney by Martin Gayford. The document praises the vivid writing and wealth of information in these publications, and emphasizes Hockney's passion for music and opera. Overall, the review suggests that these books provide valuable insights into Hockney's art and his creative process. [Extracted from the article]

Ranging from William Blake to John Ruskin, Siegel presents us with instances in which the lack of access to the physical original provided a powerful source of creative and literary inspiration. Recovering and highlighting such mediations add fuel to the revisionist argument against the rise of artistic autonomy and formalism, as Siegel questions narratives that privilege the "fantasy of direct, unmediated, entirely personal encounters" with art (148). In part III, "Things, Personally", Siegel analyzes responses by Ruskin and Pater to artistic display. [Extracted from the article]

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In this article, we argue against the assumptions that allow for the exploitation of certain types of relics under the guise that these objects are merely artistic and/or artifactual. Our thesis, therefore, is that sacred objects cannot be counted as art or treated as artefacts. To buttress our point, we first present some understandings of art and show how they aid these misconceptions. We then zoom in on two instances where the assumptions we refer to are at play. Specifically, we talk about certain objects with spiritual significance, and human bodies that are inherently sacred as examples that buttress our point. We show that the cultural and spiritual/religious significance that these sacred objects have do not make them artworks, and that the sacredness and the right to dignity that corpses possess are good enough reasons to reject the intuitions that make us believe they can become artefacts or can be treated as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes and documents one of the Snakebite Freeze Kit art boxes created by novelist Truman Capote. Images on the art box include a photograph of a young Capote with relative Sook Faulk, a snake with flickering tongue, southern extremities of the map of Alabama and the phrase When stars fell on Alabama surrounded by silver and gold sticker stars. It interprets the images on the art box as a tribute to Capote's memories of his childhood and family in Alabama.

The article presents the discussion on calligraphy on silk or decorative ceramics. Topics include Japanese arts and crafts going through many stages, exhibiting a rich diversity of techniques and media; and specialist in the field of Japanese culture wondering the influence and aesthetic preferences of the Japanese.

This article aims to show the transformation in the way African art is displayed in museums which has taken place over the last few decades. Over the last 70 years, from the second half of the twentieth century, the field of African Art studies, as well as the forms taken by art exhibitions, have changed considerably. Since W. Rubin's controversial exhibition Primitivism in 20th Century Art at MoMA (1984), art originating from Africa has begun to be more widely presented in museums with a strictly artistic profile, in contrast to the previous exhibitions which were mostly located in ethnographical museums. This could be the result of the changes that have occurred in the perception of the role of museums in the vein of new museology and the concept of a "curatorial turn" within museology. But on the other hand, it seems that the recognition of the artistic values of old and contemporary art from the African continent allows art dealers to make large profits from selling such works. This article also considers the evolution of the idea of African art as a commodity and the modern form of presentations of African art objects. The current breakthrough exhibition at the Bode Museum in Berlin is thoroughly analysed. This exhibition, entitled Beyond compare, presents unexpected juxtapositions of old works of European art and African objects of worship. Thus, the major purpose of this article is to present various benefits of shifting meaning from "African artefacts" to "African objects of art," and therefore to relocate them from ethnographic museums to art museums and galleries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appreciation of visual aesthetics is always connected with the visual experience of art objects. Yet, as the human senses are all connected and work in a comprehensive complex way, there is always a need to investigate the relationship between the visual appreciation of visual arts and other senses. Sonic effects are among the influential factors in the appreciation of visual art works. Traditionally, birds were used to convey sonic effects on impressionist painters. Claude Monet, for example, has been well known for loving to paint as a bird was singing. With the availability of modern technology, it has been possible to add different types of sonic effects in the spaces of visual art exhibitions. The basic question here is to what extent the sonic media can affect the appreciation of visual art? This question gets more importance in the field of architecture where the visual experience is more livable and complex than other visual art products. This research represents an attempt to investigate the effect of sonic on the appreciation of architectural aesthetics of architectural design presentations. A group of architecture students were asked to evaluate the architectural aesthetics of an architectural design project with and without the presence of sonic effects. It was found that, the sonic effects have an impact on their appreciation of the architectural aesthetics of the project. This directs the attention to the importance of using sonic effects to aid the appreciation of aesthetics of architectural design projects by students, architects or the general public. It also highlights the need to consider sonic effects as a means to aid the education process in the architectural design studio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the pragma-dialectic methodology of curatorial research and assembling contemporary art exhibitions. Due to the fact that (most of the times) art contains a non-verbal type of discourse that is being widely instrumented by the curatorial method of exhibiting, and considering that the art object has a diversified specter of manifestations, curatorship facilitates a wide array of display types which can be useful in interpreting and evaluating the aesthetic object. In this article I will investigate the argumentative status of the art object and its pragma-dialectic premises. Moreover, I will question the tensions between the artistic corpus and the prevalence of the curatorial textual argument. Finally, I will address a couple of notions from the linguistic and philosophical sciences, arguing for the reunification of the artistic language with its aesthetic practice, via pragma-dialectics. The aim of the article is to point out a different perspective on the curatorial discourse regarding the contemporary art corpuses. This shows the prevalence of the propositional arguments, therefore the "exile of the aesthetic object", which can be counter balanced by using the aforementioned methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valuation and display of African art in museum contexts entails contrasting strategies of objectification. In this process, objects may be used as material evidence for larger cultural trends and new movements. This essay examines the role of curatorial networks in creating discourses about African art objects that reframe their cultural significance and economic value. These curatorial networks are treated as a habitus for the art and a discursive framework for its valuation. This analysis builds upon a taxonomic nodal model, which may be used to identify the reconfiguration of museum discourses, curatorial knowledge, and markets for artistic circulation. Two case studies, examining the paintings of Congolese artist Tshibumba Kanda Matulu (1947–circa 1981) from the 1970s and the collection of legendary Malian photographer Seydou Keïta (1921–2001) from the 1960s and the 1970s, demonstrate how curatorial networks reframe the circulation and evidential status of African art over time. The article concludes with an assessment of repatriation claims with relationship to a framework for analyzing the evidential claims of museums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]