Week 5


"Mining in the Museum" by Fred Wilson was an exhibit designed to showcase museums history. For example, the piece shown above is a critique of curatorial pieces. The piece featured above lists Napoleon, Henry Clay, and Andrew Jackson on the right with Fredrick Douglas, Benjamin Banneker, and Harriet Tubman in black statues on the left. In the center, is a silver globe with the word "Truth" written upon it. This piece presents many interesting ideas. For example, the fact that the white men on the right are given names and faces, while the black people on the left are simply pedestals. Symbolic of how we can recognize the names and faces of white conquerors but not those of black leaders. Overall, his piece forces the viewer to consider why they don't recognize the faces of black leaders, but the white ones are on a literal pedestal. The word, "Truth" in the center also brings some interesting questions. 

Truth is provided on a silver platter, or its an easy to digest and understand without asking questions to get it. Perhaps this a metaphor for the common accepted "truth" many of the visitors have come to accept. Yet, this isn't on a plate, its on a globe. Is it a metaphor for a globally accepted "fact" or is it about how this kind of thing happens around the globe? The more ones looks at the piece, the more interesting it becomes. For example, the silver globe isn't on a marble pedestal, only the people are part of the pedestals. The way the statues are positioned reminds me of some kind of a court case. The white men are also facing the viewer as they enter the room as if to remind them who they are, while the black people were given no faces to look with. Perhaps the viewer is the judge of the piece and what the real events were? We make our own truths, what will the viewers truth become and how will the arrangement of the piece affect that truth?

Fred Wilson and Howard Halle, "Mining the Museum," Grand Street, No. 44 (1993), pp. 151-172

Comments

  1. daniceSeptember 26, 2020 at 2:40 PM

    HI Nathan, I think you pose a couple of interesting questions. The first asking if the truth trophy is a metaphor for a globally accepted fact and the second, what will the viewers truth become and how will the display of the exhibit affect that truth. I am not sure that the exhibit is stating that implied racism of all the objects in arrangement are a global fact, I think that it is asking the viewer why aren't there any physical representations of the lesser known, black figures in history. It is most definitely asking the viewer to seek the truth if they question how history is presented to them. As far as what the viewers truth will become, I am not sure if you mean that on a personal level? I suppose one can ask of themselves how am contributing to this ideology or am I interested in learning the truth about American history and slavery? As far as how the exhibit will affect the truth, it leaves one with more questions than answers and we have to question why things are the way they are, to begin to implement change. Is there anything different you would have done to the exhibit to invoke more reaction out of the viewer? Or do you think Wilson's exhibit was powerful enough to teach people to question history and who it is written for? I'm glad you focused on this part of the exhibit specifically.

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