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Museum Coreography - Material Matters

The document provides instructions for activities at an art museum that encourage close examination and reflection on works of art. Visitors are prompted to notice their initial impressions of a confusing work, then study it more closely and read the wall label to gain understanding. For another piece, they consider the texture and material used, imagine it taking a different form, and reflect on the curation including why a work is placed where it is. The goal is to thoughtfully observe artworks and consider the choices made by artists and curators through the lens of materials, location, and other contextual details.

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191 views1 page

Museum Coreography - Material Matters

The document provides instructions for activities at an art museum that encourage close examination and reflection on works of art. Visitors are prompted to notice their initial impressions of a confusing work, then study it more closely and read the wall label to gain understanding. For another piece, they consider the texture and material used, imagine it taking a different form, and reflect on the curation including why a work is placed where it is. The goal is to thoughtfully observe artworks and consider the choices made by artists and curators through the lens of materials, location, and other contextual details.

Uploaded by

lexiepepsi
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

MUSEUM CHOREOGRAPHY

MOVE: Find a work that confuses you. Maybe when you look at it you think: Is that art? Why is that here? or I dont get it. What are we looking at? What do you think about it? Write down a few first impressions of this piece: ________________________ ___________________________ ________________________ ___________________________ ________________________ ___________________________ LOOK: Take another look at the work, and study it longer than you may initially want to. Push yourself to notice what it is made of, the color, the texture, and how you feel when you look at it. Now, read the wall label. The wall label should be located close to the work. It is typically a small, white, rectangle that will tell you the title of the work, the material the work is made of, the name of the artist (usually his or her date of birth and country of origin), and may describe the artist or the work of art. What is the most important part of the wall label and why? :

MATERIAL MATTERS
MOVE: Go to a different floor of the museum. As you walk start to notice the textures you see. Are things smooth and sleek? Do you see anything rough? Choose a work that you find interesting to look at. LOOK: Take a long look at your piecereally examine it. Walk around it and look at it from all its different sides. Notice the size of the piece. Is it bigger than you, is it smaller? What material is it made of? Did the artist find these materials or buy them? Will the work last forever or only a day? If you had to give someone instructions about how to make this, what would you tell them? Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: Step 6: Step 7: Step 8:

How does the information you read help you understand the work? :

THINK: Imagine if this work was made of a completely different material. For example if your artwork is made of concrete, think about what it would look like if it was made of cotton balls. Pick a new material for your piece. What material would it be and how would this change or affect the artwork. Would you feel differently about it this piece if it was made of this other material?

THINK: Where is this piece located? __________________________ Is it near any other works? __________________________________ What kinds of things surround it? _______________________________ Just like the wall label you read a lot of thought went into the placement of this work. Similarly to how DJs choose songs that sound good with each other, museum curators think carefully about the location of each work and its relation to the space, other things around it, and how they will present it through text such as wall labels in the galleries REFLECT: Why do you think the curators decided to put this work in this space? Do you feel that it relates to anything around it? Why did the label provide the information that it did? How do you feel about the work now?

REFLECT: The form artworks take often falls into categories which we call the artists medium. Common mediums include painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and video. Does your piece fit any of these categories? Think about why the artist chose to make this work out of this/these materials. Could he or she have used a different medium? Would the effect have been the same? Why did the artist choose on medium over another? What do the material tell you about the work? Write your reflections on the back of this card.

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