This is the third and final of my proposals for the three wishes project. It is also closest to the work that I am planning at the moment. The first two paragraphs come from one of my previous blogs, so sorry to be repeating myself!
The New White Cube gallery in Bermondsey is a commercial space designed specifically to showcase the work that is exhibited there. The Sir John Soane Museum in Holburn began life as a private collection within the house of the architect Sir John Soane 1753- 1837. The house has now become a museum and is slowly being restored to how it would have been upon Soane’s death in 1837.
The space in the house is in complete contrast to the space of the White Cube Gallery. And so it would be, as they were conceived nearly 200 years apart. It would appear that the concentration within both spaces is on the collections they hold. This is very apparent within the White Cube as the space is obviously designed not to be considered within the viewing of the work. It is a boring bare space, the work displayed inside it is what brings the interest. This would appear to be so that the attention is on the work rather than the space holding the work.
The Sir John Soane Museum is in a maze of a house with the appearance of trying to fit as much into the space as possible – it is the antithesis of the White Cube Gallery. But the experience of going into such a space, where the space is as interesting as the work on show, changes the way you view the works you see.
I want to create an installation within a white cube style gallery space that emphasises the differences between these spaces. The installation would be of a different type of gallery space, but would be used to show the same types of work on display in the main gallery. Galleries today are designed with visitor movement very much in mind; it is easier to get lost in older galleries. I want to show this difference through the rooms and corridors that I create in my installation. Pictured to the right is a very basic plan that I could adapt for many different galleries. Below are floor plans of other designs.
All these designs aim to combine rooms and corridors in a similar way to the Sir John Soane Museum, keeping in mind other galleries and museums, such as the National Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum. The most important consideration is that the space is meant to show work. Therefore it would be suitable for different types of work.
This is the second of my proposals for the three wishes project:
Newer galleries, such as the Tate Modern, were designed with visitor numbers in mind. The layout of the rooms at the Tate mean that visitors are more likely to move about them in a particular way, and are also less likely to miss a room than in other galleries. Those involved in the designing of the Sainsbury Wing said, “We want to avoid the danger of visitors by-passing rooms because they are out of the way or appear to be in a cul-de-sac”. The design of the gallery subtly directs visitors in a form of crowd control that creates similar experiences for each visitor.
I want to create a different type of gallery space, so that each time a visitor comes they have a new experience and sense of the space, and therefore the artwork within the space. I have sought to create a gallery space that does not allow the visitor to easily see from one room to the next, with differing interior and exterior spaces. I have not numbered the rooms so there can be no order perceived from there, and I probably would not offer a map. I want to ignite the feeling of exploration in the visitor that I would feel when I went to galleries and museums when I was a child – The sense of discovering something new every time a different room is stumbled upon.
I do not mean by this to draw attention away from the art that housed within the space. After all it is considered to be the museum or gallery’s purpose to display art. The pieces displayed in the different spaces in the gallery become a commodity that the visitor seeks to discover, and in the discovery can appreciate the piece as something exciting that they have found.
In most galleries and museums that we go to there are maps and arrows to point our way. This makes it easy to predict a person’s path through a gallery space, and indeed when monitored (as seen in the image below of the Sainsbury wing of the National Gallery) the pathways are pretty much as expected, and on the most part are similar. What happens if such directional devices are removed? Rooms are no-longer numbered; there are no arrows and no maps. Would people’s pathways through the gallery change? And what effect would this have on the experience of the visitor to the gallery.
The space of the gallery itself would become more obviously directing. Newer galleries, such as the Tate Modern were designed with visitor numbers in mind. The layout of the rooms at the Tate mean that visitors are more likely to move about them in a particular way, and are also less likely to miss a room than in other galleries. Those involved in the designing of the Sainsbury Wing said, “We want to avoid the danger of visitors by-passing rooms because they are out of the way or appear to be in a cul-de-sac”. The removal of directional devices, therefore, may not initiate so much of a change in the movements of the visitor.
As you can probably tell, I am still thinking about different features that make galleries the way they are, and influence our movements within them. Though I am no longer concerned just with the differences in movements between galleries but also between experiences; if you’ve been to an interesting gallery, exhibition or museum space I’d love to know about it.
I’ve done so much research recently; it’s been really interesting and quite fun. But it has meant that I have changed direction with my work. Although here is the problem, I haven’t made any work relating to my research or anything else for a while. I don’t even know what to make. It’s a little worrying considering I’m a matter of months away from my degree, which I’m sure you’ll agree is fairly important.
However, today there has been finally been light at the end of the long, cold, dark tunnel of not producing work. I still haven’t made anything, but I’ve had Ideas. It’s all very exciting, I hope, and this week I shall begin trying things out, hooray! Though the research into the gallery will still continue, now I can feel more like I’m being more productive towards my degree show!
Last week I went to two very contrasting spaces both designed to show artistic works. The New White Cube gallery in Bermondsey is a commercial space designed specifically to showcase the work that is exhibited there. The Sir John Soane Museum in Holburn began life as a private collection within the house of the architect Sir John Soane 1753- 1837. The house has now become a museum and is slowly being restored to how it would have been upon Soane’s death in 1837. Sir Soane is interesting as he had a lot of involvement with what is considered the first free public art gallery in Britain, Dulwich Picture Gallery. I am thinking of visiting the Picture Gallery in the course of my research, but for now the house, now the museum is at the focus of my research.
The space in the house is in complete contrast to the space of the White Cube Gallery. And so it would be, they were conceived nearly 200 years apart. It would appear that the concentration within both spaces is on the collections they hold. This is very apparent within the White Cube as the space is obviously designed not to be considered within the viewing of the work. It is a boring bare space, the work displayed inside it is what brings the interest. This would appear to be so that the attention is on the work rather than the space holding the work (I know, I really need to read Inside the White Cube, Brian O’Doherty, and it’s on my shelf at home, honest!)
Sir John Soane Museum is different. Perhaps this is partly due to the fact that it is called a museum not a gallery (I’m sure I have more literature to read in this area too.) Originally the house was used by Soane to show off his collections of artistic objects from around the world. These include plaster copies of sculptures, many from the Vatican, an Egyptian sarcophagus and a room dedicated to paintings. The display of the works, and the nature of the house itself beg to be explored, every corner holds something new.
As much as I am interested and enjoy the works of Anslem Kiefer, whose work was on show at the white cube, I found I enjoyed visiting the Sir John Soane Museum far more. Perhaps that’s because I love old houses, especially unusual ones. Perhaps it’s also because I felt less like I was there because I ought to go and see some art (even though it was suggested to me in a tutorial). The differences between these spaces are something that I am going to consider further in my research, which will eventually lead me to making some work.
