— image —
— invitation —
— visitor guide —
— exhibition text —
— text —
the Collector:
After Cage - Die Dinge
25 june – 08 october 2006
Curator: Claudia Banz
Die Dinge takes place within the context of the EU regional project AfterCage, 24 Collections in Motion – an initiative to stimulate cultural exchange and the building of networks within the EU region – that is being carried by the NAK (Aachen), Z33 (Hasselt), Espace Nord 251 (Liège) en Marres (Maastricht).
The title of the project AfterCage is in direct reference to the project Rolywholyover A Circus (1993) by John Cage, who – invited by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles radically altered the classical model of exhibiting. Following the musical composition, Cage introduced the dimension of time and thus the concept of development and change as a new element within the curatorial practice. For this exhibition all the museums in a 30 mile radius were asked to draw up a list of 10 works that would be available for loan. Chance determined the continuously changing selection from this list of works and their temporary placement within the exhibition. With Rolywholyover A Circus Cage tried to see the exhibition no longer as static, but pleaded for a more dynamic working method, in which the result is just temporary, and would serve only as a starting point for new combination of works. By this at random technique Cage stripped the art works themselves from history, context and meaning. All artefacts were more or less brought back to things: a provocative statement with which Cage opposed the established museum practice, and her scientific ambitions.
Die Dinge is an exhibition comprising of 120 objects, which are part of 24 different collections in the EU-region. Following at random principles similar to those of Cage the objects have been assigned to Marres. The temporary collection – with amongst others a video by Gilbert & George, a marble bust of Louis XIV and a rake – is being safe guarded in a storage that is part of the exhibition. Here the objects are being selected that will take turns being displayed on the ground floor. The selection of objects is determined by different factors. For example the exhibition might change because a member of the public may add a work to the display. This idea shows a parallel with Continuous Project Altered Daily (1969) by Robert Morris, a solo exhibition of his work that – parallel to the ambitions of Marres – changed continuously thus creating the possibilities to create other links and connections between the works.
