Mudam's A Model – Unearthing Connections

It is curated by key figures in the artistic scene: Bettina Steinbrügge, Sarah Beaumont, Clément Minighetti, and Joel Valabrega. In A Model exhibition, international artists reimagine the role museums play today by taking over the galleries of the Mudam. The article will discuss both floors of the east and west wings, alongside a series of artwork dotted along the museum's corridors. I would like to point out that A Model introduces an interesting approach to how art is displayed, while analysing the artistic display's potential of having a positive impact on the community. The exhibition also explores other themes, including femininity, beauty, and the relentless push for conformity amidst a sea of suppressed voices.

Ground Floor: West Gallery

In the west gallery of the ground floor lies Isaac Julien’s captivating 2022 work, Once Again... (Statues Never Die) unfolding across many screens, surrounded by traditional African sculptures. Julien's exploration delves deep into the intricate relationship between art history and cultural ownership. Throughout this piece, Julien discusses how African art was received in the West during the early 20th century, drawing from its aesthetic prowess.

However, I believe it also sheds light on Orientalism, highlighting how art often morphs to cater to Western palettes, thereby possibly erasing its original essence. Meanwhile, the black-and-white films underscore the complexity of culture, whilst intertwining poetic fiction with reality, across five screens, evoking dialogues across different eras. The work also serves as a catalyst for colonial awareness through art – thus bridging the gap between the East and West.

Isaac Julien, Once Again... (Statues Never Die), 2022 Installation view, Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, 2022 / © Henri Kam / Barnes Foundation

Ground Floor: East Gallery

Moving to the East gallery on the ground floor, I will now discuss Nora Turato and Tomaso Binga’s exploration of women in contemporary society through words and language. Turato’s video performance, Someone Ought to Tell You What It’s All About (2019), is a poignant commentary, filmed on a black stage, with Turato passionately reciting words from social media, commercials, books, and films. Her delivery is tinged with anger and echoes the relentless scrutiny women face in society, both online and offline.

In the very same space, Binga’s presence can be felt all over the room, through a traditional red and white wallpaper, creating a cosy ambience. Binga’s poetic verses from the 1970s adorn the walls, offering readers insights into her intimate thoughts. These words seamlessly merge with Turato's films, showcasing a shared understanding of the female experience in society. Through Binga’s lyrical compositions, the walls, once a blank canvas, contains the different thoughts of women.

First Floor: East Gallery

Ascending the stairs to the first floor’s east gallery from the ground floor’s east gallery, visitors encounter the captivating exhibition Field Trip by Nina Beier and Bob Kil. The exhibit unfolds as a spiritual journey, where floral sculptures serve as vessels to capture an ethereal essence. At its heart lies an arrangement of continuously blooming yellow flowers, meticulously arranged in a grid formation, guiding visitors through the space. This grid structure resonates with the orderliness of the tangible world, drawing parallels to the serene compositions found in the works of British artist Agnes Martin.

Nina Beier and Bob Kil , All Fours, 2022 Performance views, La Pista 500, Pinacoteca Agnelli, Turin, 2022 / © Sebastiano Pellin di Persan

Amongst the flowers stand two individual shell paintings, cheekily named General Idea, each portraying iconic logos – the dark red Marlboro logo, and the ruby red and orange circles of the MasterCard emblem - on opposing walls. The artworks offer a historical glimpse into capitalism and the need to conform to societal standards in parts of the world. Simultaneously, it also quietly critiques the notion of standardised beauty.

These are symbolised by the flower's arrangement, suggesting that while a shared understanding may flourish in some parts of the world, a lack of independence could lead to a social decline, which reintroduces the reflection that Eastern ideas blend into Wester thought to avoid criticism.

Moreover, the installation of the flowers induces a mechanical precision, where independence sadly fades into the background, thus inviting audiences to evaluate their own human condition. Also, I returned to the exhibition on Sunday, March 10th, and witnessed the slow withering and demise of the flowers, evoking sadness and most importantly, serving as a reminder of life's transient nature.

First Floor: West Gallery

In the west gallery of the first floor, a group of artistic narratives is presented through the works of four artists: Anna Boghiguian, Andrea Bowers, Daniela Ortiz, and Krista Belle Stewart. Together, they create a show of different realities, drawn from different corners of the world, producing a powerful commentary on the past and present.

Among the group of artists mentioned above, I will look at Anna Boghiguian's The Silk Road (2020–21), which sheds light on the historical link between the East and West. Boghiguian's installation focuses on Japan's documented silk industry, unravelling the intricate threads of political, economic, and industrial development that have shaped our current world. Through twelve paintings delicately suspended by silk threads, Boghiguian unveils an alternative narrative of the Silk Road – characterised not only through trade, but also through the exchange of intellectual, spiritual, and cultural ideas. Central to Boghiguian's exploration is the pivotal role of women in the silk industry, whose labour remains largely invisible yet profoundly impactful.

The paintings, I believe, evoke a silent strength of women who toiled tirelessly at every stage of silk production, from cultivation to weaving. Despite their indispensable contributions, in reality, women have often been relegated to the shadows, their voices silenced in a patriarchal world.

Around the Gallery

Throughout the halls of the Mudam, many blue benches are placed around, courtesy of Finnegan Shannon, as part of a larger series of artworks called Do you want us here or not (2021). Each bench, adorned with messages in both English and French, extends a welcoming embrace to a diverse range of visitors.

They are decorated in white texts, with their bright blue presence impossible to ignore. Deliberately unassuming in their flatness, their vibrant blue hue nods to the international symbol of access. They echo Yves Klein's iconic works that explore the fluidity of the human form with his deep aquamarine hue, or more commonly known as International Klein Blue (IKB).

But these benches are not just artistic expressions; they are philosophical interventions, designed to prioritise the comfort and accessibility of all museum-goers seeking solace in the museum's walls. The messages are quirky, whilst challenging preconceived notions of how to navigate exhibitions, urging visitors to question inherited assumptions. In doing so, Shannon and the museum's advocacy for inclusivity in both the physical and digital realms is understandable for all.

In conclusion, exploring the Mudam's complex corridors left me contemplating the role of museums in today’s world. The subtlety of the artworks resonates deeply, echoing the museum's overarching mission in this trilogy of exhibitions, as well as addressing ideas between the East and West, which is interesting to me personally.

I encourage you, ROUX readers, to embark on the journey through the Mudam with an open mind to discover the transformative power of contemporary art, and to examine your and the general community’s perception of the function of museums.

Roux Magazine

Roux Magazine is made by students at the University of Luxembourg. We love their work, so we decided to team up with them and bring some of their articles to our audience as well. You can find all of their issues on Issuu.