QUILTS, COLLOQUIA, AND CLAY: WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY

WHAT’S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY

BY: KATE SEALLY

The long awaited Reading Week is here! Once you've made your way through Maya's museum related movie recommendations, I hope you can take some time off from your school work to get out to some of these events.

1. Thursdays at Gibson House Museum

Every Thursday between 5:00 and 8:00 pm Gibson House Museum hosts a pay-what-you-can social evening, 1850s style. On the last Thursday of each month, between 6:00 and 8:00 pm, they also welcome beginner and veteran quilters to their Community Quilt Group. You can bring along your own quilting project, or purchase supplies for a reasonable price. Best of all, this program is free! If, like me, you are daunted by the prospect of making your way all the way out to North York, don't be. Gibson House Museum is only 25 mins from the U of T campus on the subway.

Gibson House Museum. Source. 

2. iSchool Colloquia Series presents: Elizabeth Semmelhack and Alison Matthews David

Elizabeth Semmelhack, the senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum, and Alison Matthews David, an associate professor at Ryerson University, discuss the Fashion Victims exhibit which is currently on at the Bata Shoe Museum. They will discuss their partnership, as well as the context, content, and the process of creating the exhibit. Don't forget to visit the Fashion Victims exhibit before it closes in June 2016!  

Where: 140 St. George St, Bissell Building room 728
When: Thursday, February 25th, 5:00–7:00 pm

Cost: free!

Photo credit: Maya Donkers. 

3. The Gardiner Museum's New Exhibit: Beneath the Surface, Life, Death, Gold and Ceramics in Ancient Panama

Opening tomorrow, this exhibit features incredible finds from the banks of the Rio Grande Coclé in Panama. A cemetery used by the Coclé people that was undisturbed for more than one thousand years yielded incredible finds to the Penn Museum archaeological team that excavated it in the 1940s. How crazy that we can now stroll over to the Gardiner to see these finds right here in Toronto?!

The archaeological site in Panama, c. 1940s. Source. 

Our honourable mention goes to the Alliance Française which often hosts free cultural events like concerts, film screenings, and lectures. If you're feeling a little fancy, you can even attend their monthly wine and cheese events for 20$.

Well that's all from me this week. Enjoy your Reading Week if you're a student, and try not to be too jealous if you aren't! 

VODOU AT THE CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION

EXHIBITION REVIEWS

BY: STEPHANIE READ

This week I would like to discuss a *past exhibition* which has so far been my absolute favourite exhibition ever! Presented by the Canadian Museum of Civilization (before it was renamed as the Canadian Museum of History), the exhibition, Vodou, ran from November 15th 2012 to February 23rd, 2014 and featured objects used in the practice of Vodou. The exhibition aimed to broaden visitors’ understanding of the spirituality, history and culture of the religion, while dispelling negative stereotypes which surround it, using a critical eye and the personal stories of Vodouists.

 Vodou Advertisement Poster @Canadian Museum of History, 2012

I was impressed with how the exhibition handled sensitive and often mis- or unrepresented subject matter with an approach that skilfully wove entertainment with opportunities for transformative experiences. Visitors entering the exhibition must walk down a long corridor featuring a timeline of stereotypical Hollywood depictions of ‘Voodoo’ as 'evil magic'. The visitor then reaches a bend in the corridor with rounded white walls covered in holes. Whispers emerge from the walls at different heights and I saw visitors reaching up or kneeling down beside the walls to listen to the stories of Vodouists living in Haiti, Canada or elsewhere. This design was very effective in its staging of the material to come; visitors are unable to merely pass the brightly-lit movie posters showing garishly-drawn Voodoo shamans, though neither can they ignore the voices of the real Vodouists as they enter the main exhibition gallery. What is required is a journey into the spaces of knowing between very public and the very private spheres.

Packets containing plant matter, soil and other items for initiates to secret societies. @ Canadian Museum of History, Marie-Louise Deruaz

Exhibition planners honoured the requirements and consultations of the communities represented, and some of these groups conducted religious ceremonies in the exhibition space before the opening of Vodou, making it a living space of spirituality as well as an area for learning. The exhibition included a wide variety of objects, from quilts to dolls to elaborate shrines recreated in the space. The objects were accompanied by much textual information on the historical and spiritual contexts of the works. I was amazed by the artistry of the Vodouists responsible for their creation.

Urn possessing the spirit of an Ibo ancestor. @ Canadian Museum of History, Frank Wimart

The exhibition design applied dramatic lighting within dark walls which evoked the intimate, shadowy places of the psyche. Interestingly, one section was preceded by a disclaimer due to the (understandably, for some!) ‘troubling’ nature of the artifacts including human remains. This separate section was slightly differently decorated and included a room entirely decorated for the purpose of use by Vodouists of a certain secret society, yet visitors could only catch glimpses of the room from outside via a handful of peepholes. The effect was to remind the visitor that the often personal and intimate nature of religion does not permit outsiders to ‘see the whole picture’, especially those who have not been initiated. The Vodouists are guardians of deep knowledge that cannot be cracked by mere contemplation of their objects of worship.

Workroom in a Secret Society @ Canadian Museum of History, Frank Wimart

Experiencing exhibitions like Vodou, which aim to tackle negative public perceptions while navigating the highly personal, contextual nature of the depicted subjects, is not only something we as visitors and museum enthusiasts can do in the physical sense; it is beneficial to go back every few years to see what information has lingered in our memories, what emotions we felt that have since grown, receded, or changed texture. Better yet, if you went with a friend or family member, be sure to ask them what they remember and compare memories! The highlight of this exhibition for me was when I had seen every gallery but one, and I had happily taken in as much information and sights I thought I could handle. Then, I entered the last room which was filled with gorgeous full-length mirrors with great dusty frames. This was a perfect end to an assertive kind of exhibition which was now challenging me as the visitor to contemplate myself in these grotesque, beautiful mirrors. I left the exhibition with a powerful memory of sustained active mindfulness, and I especially cherish this memory as a Museum Studies student today.

Sequin-covered ritual bottles. @ Canadian Museum of History, Marie-Louise Deruaz

Have you visited a Vodou exhibit or museum? Do you have a memory of seeing an exhibition which you believed met its learning objectives? Let me know in the comments below and we can discuss!

MEMORABLE MUSEUM MOVIES: A READING BREAK MUST!

MUSEUM MONDAYS

BY: MAYA DONKERS

Welcome to winter reading break 2016!

As my fellow classmates make some serious attempts at staying productive by actually reading, writing, and studying, I have decided to put a stop to all productivity and introduce some well-deserved relaxation.

Let’s all admit defeat to the books, grab some popcorn, and learn about museums in a way that is more um... suited to the break in reading break.

1. The Thomas Crown Affair

What better way to kick off a list than with Pierce Brosnan? Although this film is known to star Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, it also features René Magritte – in a not so obvious way. IMDb best describes this heist movie as, “A very rich and successful playboy amuses himself by stealing artwork, but may have met his match in a seductive detective.”

If you’ve seen it before, a second (or third) time never hurts. If you haven’t, check out the trailer below. 

2. Midnight in Paris

Although not the most conventional “museum movie” on this list, it is one of my personal favourites and has plenty of stunningly saturated Woody Allen-style museum moments. Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Kathy Bates (amongst many others) it is hard to choose which artist portrayal is your favourite. For me, Adrien Brody as Salvador Dalí wins every time.

Whether you are - or aren’t - a Woody Allen fan, don’t let Rachel McAdams down by passing on this movie! 

3. The Woman in Gold

Warning: do not confuse this movie with Woman in Black. That movie was terrifying. This one is heart-warming.

Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds will leave you smiling as you follow the restitution efforts of Maria Altmann and her lawyer, who take on the Austrian government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family.

The trailer may be beautifully done, but anyone who has seen a Klimt in person knows that very few things are more stunning than that. 

4. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Stereotyping the museum in cartoon form is one of the things this movie does best. However, it remains a necessary throwback to some much-needed Disney time. Join the young adventurer Milo and his group of explorers are they try to find the lost continent of Atlantis.

If you never saw it as a child, now is your chance! If you did, watch it again (but try to avoid the ever-creeping critical thinking of Exhibition, Interpretation, Communication).

5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Always a classic, not only did this movie make my list, but it also made the Smithsonian’s “Five Movies that Memorably Feature Museums.” We all know the scene to look out for: Ferris skips class with his girlfriend and best friend to take a life-affirming joy ride through Chicago, which includes posing with paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Enough said, you know what to do.

Recommended snacks: popcorn (any and all varieties), Ben & Jerry's Half Baked, soft liquorice, any kind of chocolate covered nut, and/or Miss Vickie's Sea Salt & Vinegar. 

I hope these movies keep all my fellow MMSt-ers happy and busy over the break. Choosing five was hard, there are so many great films out there that feature museums. Have one in mind? Name the movie in the comments section below so everyone gets a chance to check it out!

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED

OBJECT OF THE WEEK

BY: NATANIA SHERMAN

What this book needs is more gold, you'll see what I mean (Source)

Many people say that new technology signals the death of the book, but the reality is that the power of the interwebs is that rare books that had previously been inaccessible are now online and available for the public. This is the case with today’s object, the Aberdeen Bestiary, which has recently been digitized and put online thanks to a project associated with The University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

 

This tree illustration reinforces the feudal social order (Source)

We don’t know who commissioned the the Aberdeen Bestiary other than it was created in England around 1200. Given the sheer quantity of gold they were probably wealthy member of the clergy or aristocracy. Manuscripts were illuminated because under the feudal system of the 11th and 12th century. While at first glance the bestiary appears to be an encyclopedia of animals, but in fact the role of the bestiary was to use animal symbolism to communicate the principles of Christian belief. Each page of the Aberdeen Bestiary has an illustration of an animal, plant or story and a description of the animal. However, this is not a scientific text. The stories and symbolism associated with each animal is obscure today, but would have been quite obvious to a citizen of the 11th century. The stories accompanying each animal were inspired by popular concepts from Pliny the Elder, Aesop’s fables, the Bible, and Aristotle. The didactic message of the bestiary was also inherent in the illustrations.

 

The fox is a metaphor, don't go for it birds! (Source)

For example the description of the fox playing dead to tempt birds to fly into his mouth is symbolic of the devil persuading Christians to turn to sin. Similarly, images of mythical animals such as the phoenix, recall the story of Christ’s resurrection.

The phoenix is also a metaphor (Source)

Bestiaries contain huge amounts of information about medieval morality and belief. I haven't even begun to discuss the physical properties or the skill with which it was illustrated and transcribed. Given the sheer volume of textual references within the Aberdeen Bestiary, it becomes very clear that the so called dark ages, at least where this volume is concerned, were quite enlightened. That being said, I still find myself transfixed by the whimsical, enigmatic and sometimes funny images of animals.

So, I’ll leave you with a short article about medieval manuscripts entitled Two Monks Invent Bestiaries from the Toast.