Mariko Osawa | Constellations Woven by Collections
This article reflects on the importance of collection research and exhibition construction by curators, using the Saitama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art exhibition as a case study.Summary
This article discusses the importance of how curators engage with collections, using the special exhibition "Behind the Scenes of the Collection—Shedding Light, Digging Up. Seven Attempts Regarding the Collection" at the Saitama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art as a catalyst. The author notes that while a curator's work is diverse, engaging with the collection through research and exhibition is fundamental. The exhibition uniquely presents the collection through the perspective of a contemporary curator. For instance, Section 5 recontextualized the works of local artist Take Hosoda by placing them within the lineage of modern Japanese *bijinga* (paintings of beautiful women) through the relationship with her teachers. Section 4 featured the work *Ajigasawa Bay Jōdokusōroku* by Yoshio Murakami, which was donated after being exhibited in a previous show. By juxtaposing it with works by Shunsuke Matsumoto, whom Murakami studied, the exhibition created a space to re-experience the gaze of artists connected by the region of 'Tohoku,' highlighting a multi-layered structure of perspectives. The author concludes by reflecting on the need to sincerely re-engage with the core work of collection research and to weave new constellations from existing pieces, recognizing that exhibitions are like constellations spun from the viewpoint of a single curator living in a specific era.
(Source：artscape)