10/12/2014

DAY AT THE MUSEUM

My friend Siobhan and I decided to go to the NGV - Ian Potter gallery in town after some coffee. The Ian Potter Gallery has changing exhibitions and often initiatives that include the gallery visitors to be interactive.

Today we found two interactive installations. The first one was made by Emily Floyd, which included cutting and folding a little booklet and then using a good old typing machine to include some words. Seeing a typing machine makes me smile, because I used to have one as a kid, and I loved to type short stories. Not only was I born in a period of time where computers were not all that common, I also just enjoy the simpleness of a typing machine. No internet, no distracting gadgets and tools, just a machine to type words. Without sounding too melancholic, I do sometimes miss those days where things seemed more simple. 

The second installation included hundreds or maybe thousands of PVC letters. We were free to make words or sentences, and I made one of my favourite sentences from lyrics by the Icelandic band Sigur Ros. Siobhan chose to make her favourite Norwegian word: Kjærlighed.

I always enjoy it when museums are interactive, but to a certain point. I often read about people finding that certain museums have too many gadgets and technology involved, and how it sometimes distracts them from seeing the art for what it is. At the NGV they balanced the interactivity with the 'passive art'. It was just enough to feel like a kid again, and to play around like we used to. But also just enough, to feel like adults, when we were discussing some serious Australian art from the 19th century.


WHO: Ian Potter Gallery
WHAT: Interactive installations
WHERE: Fed square, Melbourne




 Siobhan & the typing machine
 Walking on letters

Og ég fæ blóðnasir, og ég stend alltaf upp

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