Abstract
The 2021 inclusion of the work The Echo of an Ancient Form of Knowledge ( Ru k’ ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el) by artist Edgar Calel in the Tate Modern collection caused a stir due to its modalities: The material transience of part of the installation is one of the challenges, the model of ‘custodianship’, with which the Tate Modern’s role is framed, is another. This redefinition of the relationship between institution/collection - artist - work, the knowledge complexes inherent therein and the communities involved (the Maya Kaqchikel) require new ways of interaction between the involved actors. The Tate is not the owner, but the custodian of the work for a period of 13 years and is not only committed to the appropriate care of the work and to supporting the local community, whose knowledge and rituals have flowed into this work. Its institutional logic and the working methods embedded in it must also be adapted to the requirements of these kind works in a collection. These artistic as well as politically intended settings require highly individual negotiation processes and also demand ethical considerations. Based on this example, I discuss on how these new responsibilities challenge the museum towards a more inclusive way of collecting. Thereby I refer to observations from the research project ‘Collecting the Ephemeral. Prerequisites and Possibilities for Making Performance Art Last” (2019-2023), where it was observed that a change in artistic practice was often the starting point for more inclusionary practices in institutions.
Presenters
Rachel MaderHead of Competence Center Art, Design and Public Sphere, Lucerne University of Applied Art and Research, Design Film Art, Luzern (de), Switzerland
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Collecting Ephemerals Community-based Artworks custodianship in collections Inclusive collecting
