Muzeji deo 1
Museums part 1
U samom istorijskom centru Vašingtona, oko glavnog pravougaonog
parka zvanog National mall, koji ide od od Vašingtonovog obeliska do
Kapitola, nalazi se pregršt muzeja Smitsonijanovog instituta. Obišao
sam ih... skoro polovinu :) Zapravo, ceo kompleks sadrži 19 muzeja,
8 istraživačkih centara i jedan zoološki vrt, pa sad vi vidite.
Velike i važne kolekcije su mi bile najzanimljivije, kakve retko
viđamo u Beogradu s obzirom da su postavke dva najveća muzeja
zatvorene zbog (stalno produžavanih) rekonstrukcija i retko koja
institucija može kapacitetski da prihvati takav poduhvat.
In the very historical center of Washington, around the rectangular
park National Mall, spreading from Washington's monument to Capitol,
one can find a bunch of museums of the Smithsonian Institute. I've
seen... almost half of them :) The entire complex has 19 museums, 8
research centers and one zoo – enough for a special pilgrimage!
Big and important collections were of primary interest for me, the
very ones we don't see often in Belgrade, regarding that the
exhibition spaces of the two biggest museums are still closed
(National and Contemporary), due to (constantly extended)
reconstructions and the very fact that not many institutions have a
capacity to accept an expensive traveling exhibition.
U par navrata sam osećao kao da uživo gledam epizode s mojih
studija. Pri tome, ceo Smitsonijanov kompleks je BESPLATAN! Umetnost,
SAD istorija, Azija, Afrika, svemir... odakle početi?!
A couple of times I was feeling like seeing episodes from my studies
– in person. Besides, the whole Smithsonian is FREE OF CHARGE! Art,
US history, Asia, Africa, space... where to start?!
Smitsonijanov institut (SI) je nastao na neki način nenadano, kao
posledica nasledstva engleskog naučnika Džejmsa Smitsona koji
nikada nije posetio SAD, a čiji je američki nećak – naslednik
bogatstva – ostao bez potomaka. Legalno je to nasledstvo prešlo u
ruke države, dok je Kongres odlučivao nekoliko godina kako da se
ostane veran testamentu pokojnog naučnika i da se njegovim
nasledstvom podrži “uvećavanje i širenje znanja među ljudima”.
1846 ustanovljen je SI pod direktnim patronatom vlade, radeći i kao
naučni centar i ujedinjeni depo raznih zbirki iz Vašingtona i celih
SAD, koji su vremenom postale baza za muzejske postavke. Odatla
nadimak “državni tavan”.
Smithsonian's Institute (SI) came to be in an unexpected way, thanks
to a heritage of the British scientist James Smithson who never
visited the US, due to his American nephew – official inheritor –
who died without any children. Legally, the whole inheritance became
the property of the state, while the Congress had some hard time
deciding for years how to remain faithful to the late scientist's
will, which asked “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge
among men”. And then, in 1846, SI was founded under the direct
patronage of the government, working both as a science center and
united deposit of various collections from Washington and the whole
US, which over time have become the basis for museums' collections.
Therefore “the national attic” nickname.
(pored SI, uvodim još jednu skraćenicu – WDC za Washington, DC)
O
istorijatu, muzejima i dr više na Vikipediji
(fin pregled) i zvaničnoj stranici SI. Pokušaću
da dam kratak pregled svakog muzeja, uz linkove i reference na
izložbe koje sam video.
(apart
from the SI, I'm introducing another abbreviation – WDC for
Washington DC)
On
the history, museums and other useful info, check the Wiki page and
the official website of the SI. I'm going to try to make a short
overview of each of the museums I had visited, with links and by
referencing exhibitions I saw.
Iako otvoren tek 2004, koreni ovog muzeja se nalaze u njujorškom
Museum of the American Indian koji je formiran 1916, a kasnije
pripojen SI. Danas postoji u vidu tri institucija – muzeji u WDC i
NY, kao i centar u državi Merilend.
Although opened in 2004, the roots of this museum are in the New
York's Museum of the American Indian formed in 1916, later added to
the SI complex. Today it exists via three institutions – museums in
WDC and NY, as well as a center in the state of Maryland.
 |
| Diné - "beauty" |
(klik za veće fotografije - click on the photos for zoom)
Kome je posvećen? Ovde direktno ulazimo u etimologiju i krajnje
političko pitanje ko koga opredstavlja... „Američki indijanci“
je čupav termin, zasnovan na pogrešnoj pretpostavci da su Kristofer
Kolumbo i prvi istraživači/kolonizatori otkrili kraći put do
Indije. Ustaljen naziv na engleskom je „Native American“,
označavajući ljude sa prekolumbijskim korenima. „Starosedeoci“
mi se na srpskom čini kao najbolji prevod, a alternativni izraz –
odomaćen u Kanadi – je „First Nations“ - Prve nacije. U
suštini, radi ispravljanja istorijske nepravde i razjašnjavanja
nedoumica, savetuje se korišćenje izraza koje koriste sami članovi
naroda (ustaljena imena su najčešće dolazila od suseda ili
neprijateljske grupe, često sa omalovažavajućim značenjem ili
tonom).
To what or to whom is this museum dedicated? Here we're entering into
etymology discussions and a political question of representation...
“American Indians” is a outdated term, based on a misguided
assumption that Columbus and the first explorers/colonizers actually
discovered the shorter route to India. A widely accepted term is
“Native Americans”, targeting all the people with pre-Columbian
ancestry, while in Canada they use “First Nations”. In fact, to
face the historical errors and clear any misinterpretations, it's
advised to use the names that the nation itself is using when
addressing its collective (the popular names were mostly coming from
neighbors or enemy nations, therefore with a negative meaning or
tone).
Više
na opsežnoj stranici Vikipedije / more on
Wiki's extensive page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States
 |
| Deo zastava svih starosedelačkih nacija / part of the flags of Native Americans' nations |
Vezano za ovaj muzej, vođe starosedelaca su oštro reagovale na
otkrivanje činjenice da je SI posedovao 12-18.000 ostataka njihovih
predaka koji su se nalazili u depoima. Krajem '80-tih godina XX veka,
donet je akt kojim se istovremeno formira muzej „kao živi
memorijal američkim starosedeocima i njihovim tradicijama“ i
sprovodi repatrijacija ljudskih ostataka, svetih i predmeta kulturne
baštine, od kojih je 1/3 bila vraćena. Inauguracija ovog muzeja je
bio povod za, do tada, najveće okupljanje starosedelaca Amerike, kao
i uključivanje same zajednice u očuvanje i promociju svoje baštine.
Ovu neobičnu zgradu su projektovale arhitekte Daglas Kardinal i
Džonpol Džons, zajedno sa i drugim umetnicima koji pripadaju
starosedelačkim zajednicama, koji su doprineli izgledu muzeja bez
oštrih uglova, sa puno kružnih elemenata, pejzažnom arhitekturom i
„kasota“ krečnjakom, da bi veza sa prirodnim elementima bila
prisutna konceptualno i vizuelno.
Returning to this museum, the Native Americans' leaders were
protesting upon discovering that the SI possessed between 12 and
18.000 remains of their ancestors, all packed in storages. In late
80s, an act regulated the formation of the new museum, as a “living
memorial to Native Americans and their traditions”, as well as the
process of repatriation of human remains, sacred and cultural
heritage objects (1/3 was repatriated). The inauguration of the
museum was a reason for a gathering, the largest one until that
moment, of Native Americans (US, Alaska and Hawaii), as well as a
cause to include the community itself in protecting and promoting its
heritage.
This quite unusual building was the project or architects Douglas
Cardinal and Johnpaul Jones who, together with other Native American
artists, designed a building without any sharp angles, with many
round and circle elements, landscaping and Kasota limestone, to
emphasize the connection with natural elements, both visually and
conceptually.
Iako daleko od kritika, najviše zbog svojih postavki i pitanja kako
su (i koje) starosedelačke nacije predstavljene, moj utisak je bio
krajnje pozitivan. S jedne strane, činilo mi se da u tom trenutku
nije bilo ni jedne postavke koja je pokušavala da sve različite
starosedelačke nacije stavi pod jedan isti koš. Stekao sam utisak
da se kroz izložbe obrađuju različiti aspekti društva, tradicije,
religije, života, uz blisku saradnju sa samim starosedeocima. Ovde
se direktan rad sa samim korisnicima i „predmetom“ izlaganja koji
uzimaju učešća u odlukama i sopstvenom predstavljanju pretvara u
etičko i otvorenije kustosko rešenje (primer – vodič kroz stalnu
postavku je bio kečua iz Bolivije). Takođe, nemoguće je
predstaviti sve zajednice odjednom, čak i u tako velikoj zgradi
muzeja. Ono što posetioci mogu da vide su privremene i pojedine
priče koje se smenjuju i doprinose postepenoj vidljivosti
starosedelačkih nacija.
Although not without criticisms, mostly dealing with museum's
displays and questions of representation (who and how), my
impressions was generally positive. On the one hand, I think that
none of the exhibitions was trying to convey a unifying message and
put all the nations under one tag. Exhibitions were paying attention
to different aspects of society, tradition, religion, life, with a
close cooperation with the communities themselves. Here one can see
that the direct work with the “users” themselves and “objects”
of display, who are taking part in decisions and their own
representation, turns into a ethical and an open curatorial solution
(example – our guide was a Quechua man from Bolivia). Also, even in
the building that big, one cannot represent all the nations. What
visitors can see are temporary and partial stories which are
changing, contributing to a gradual visibility of the Native
Americans.
S
druge strane, otvoren je prostor za izložbe koje su usmerene više
ka savremenosti – životima pojedinih zajednica, zanatima i dr, kao
i kritičkom stavu – npr. diskusija o identitetu (izložba Our lives: contemporary life and identities)
i istorijskim sporazumima (i kršenjima istih) između vlade SAD i
starosedelaca (Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations).
Za Dan mrtvih / Halloween / Día de los muertos, muzej je organizovao
specijalne događaje – od radionica do koncerata/demonstracija
rituala, koji su ovog puta tematizovali običaje starosedelaca južno
od SAD.
On the other hand, there is a space for exhibitions which are focused
more to contemporary issues – the lives of specific communities,
crafts, among others, as well with a critical edge – for example,
discussing identities (Our lives: contemporary life and identities)
and historical treaties (and their breaches) between the US
government and Native Americans (Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations).
For Halloween / Día de los muertos, the museum organized special
events – from workshops to concerts and demonstrations of certain
rituals, this time focusing on indigenous communities south of the
US.
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| "Izložba je o tome ko smo danas" / "This exhibition is about who we are today" |
 |
| "Fully native" / ko su starosedeoci? (pitanje identiteta) |
 |
| Día de los muertos |
P.S.
Obe galerije čine azijski deo Smitsonijana, i bile su privatne
donacije SI (proizvođača automobila Čarlsa Langa Frira i Dr.
Artura Mičela Seklera). Iako odvojene kao institucije, fizički su
povezane – Freer se nalazi okrenut ka National mall, kao prizemna
zgrada, dok se Sackler nalazi tačno ispod, u jednom momentu
povezujući se ispod zemlje sa afričkim muzejem (o kojem nešto
kasnije) i izlazeći napolje u vidu jednog paviljona.
Both galleries are the Asian part of the SI, and were private
donations (of car industrialist Charles Lang Freer and dr Arthur
Mitchell Sackler). Although separated administrativelly, they are
connected physically – Freer is in a ground building open towards
the National mall, while Sackler is right underneath it, being
connected with the African museum and surfacing out as a small
pavilion.
Freer poseduje veliku zbirku koja se, geografski, proteže od Japan
do Sirije, sa posebnim naglaskom na SAD recepciju tzv. japanizma –
fascinacijom japanskom umetnošću od strane zapadnjačkih umetnika,
što je bilo posebno izraženo krajem XIX veka. U tom ključu, moguće
je videti dosta radova Vislera (James Abbott McNeill Whistler) i
Paunovu sobu (Peacock room), londonsku trpezariju koju je Visler
oslikao i koja je bila kompletno fizički premeštena u ovaj muzej.
Sackler
kolekcija obuhvata par zbirki, pored donatorove, koje pokrivaju
slični gegrafski pojas. Jedna koja mi je zapala za oko je bila Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran
(na fotografijama), možda zahvaljujući
kevinim knjigama i pričama dok je radila u Iranu.
Obe galerije imaju prisutan šmek privatnog kolekcionarstva, a
povremeno poseduju i dubinu kolekcije koja, na tipično muzejski
način, predstavlja pregled – materijala, objekta ili kulture.
Freer
has a great collection which geographically stretches from Japan to
Syria, with a special emphasis on the US reception of japonisme
– a fascination with Japanese art by western artists, present in
the late 19th
century. That's how the museum exhibits a lot of artworks of James
Abbott McNeil Whistler and the Peacock rook, a London dining room
that Whistler painted and that was physically moved in its entirety
in the museum. Sackler encompasses several collections, apart from
its initial donor, covering a similar geographical selection. One
exhibition caught my eye - Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran
(on the photos), maybe thanks to my mom's books and stories when she
was working in Iran. Both galleries have a feeling of private
connoisseurship, and at times showing the depth of its collections
which, on a traditionally museum way, displays materials, objects or
cultures.
Ono što zaboravljam da napomenem je da ceo SI ima izrazito
turistički fokus, što nije ni čud(n)o. Milioni posetilaca iz
zemlje i inostranstva dolaze svake godine i muzeji – svaki na svoji
način – teže da izložbama i raznim aktivnostima privuku
posetioce, balansirajući između atraktivnih predmeta, umetnika i
tema, kao i profesionalnog pristupa (istorijsko-umetnički,
etnološki, naučni, arheološki...). Neke diskusije – podstaknute
samim postavkama – su mi se činile dosta informativnim, ali bez
ulaženja u neke stručne diskusije i akademski jezik. Kako mi je
jedna kustoskinja rekla, to je „programiranje“ koje jeste
neophodno u radu na toj lokaciji.
One thing that I'm forgetting to mention is that the whole SI has an
distinct touristic focus, which comes as no surprise. Millions of
visitors from abroad and the US are coming every year and all museums
– each one in its own way – are trying to attract the visitors
with their exhibitions and events, balancing between famous objects,
artists and topics, and professional approach (art history,
ethnology, archeology, biology...). Some discussions – triggered by
the displays themselves – seemed to me very informative, without
entering into professional discussions and academic language. As one
of the curators told me, that's the “programming” which is
essential for working on that location.
Sada verovatno i vama polako popušta pažnja (kao i meni), ali iako
mi se ponekad čini da imam mišljenje o svemu, hoću da prepustim
fotografijama da pričaju neku priču :)
I believe that my attention is not the only one which is getting
weaker... while seemingly having an opinion on everything, I'd also
like to let the photos tell the story :)
Muzej je posvećen modernoj i savremenoj umetnosti (fokus posle
Drugog svetskog rata) i nazvan prema umetničkom kolekcionaru Džosefu
Hiršhornu; nastaje krajem '60 godina, svega nekoliko godina posle
izgradnje Muzeja savremene umetnosti u Beogradu. Oko njega se nalazi
velika bašta, koja se proteže na parku National mall. Moj utisak je
bio da su veliki deo umetničkih dela na postavci – skulpture.
Izbor umetnika me je na momente podsećao na predmet Istorija moderne
umetnosti II.
This museum is dedicated to modern and contemporary art (after the
WWII) and bearing the name of art collector Joseph Hirshhorn; it was
formed in late 60s, just a couple of years after the completion of
The Museum of Contemporary art in Belgrade. Around it, there is a
great garden, speading towards the National Mall. My impression was
that most of the artworks on display were – sculptures. The choice
of artists reminded me of my studies – specially the History of the
modern art II classes.
Izložba
koja mi se dosta dopala – a koju nisam mogao da fotografišem je
Days of endless time,
koja je kroz različite tehnike, pokušavala da govori o vremenu, u
malo usporenijem ritmu. Više na sajtu i fotografiji ispod.
An
exposition which stroke a chord with my mood – which was also very
well protected from photographing – was Days of endless time,
resolving around the notion of time, specially in a slower pace,
through different art mediums.
Prvi
muzej zvanično nije deo SI, iako je veza između njih vidljiva i
malo komplikovana. Formiran kao početna donacija bankara Endrua
Melona, otvoren 1941, ovaj ogroman muzej obuhvata celokupnu, tipičnu
(da napomenem – zapadnjačku) istoriju umetnosti. Još jednom da
povučem paralelu sa mojim studijama – kao da gledate veći deo
Džensona, kroz umetnička dela (minus arhitektura), opredmećenog u
muzeju. Od Leonarda da Vinčija (jedini u SAD) i Van Ajka, preko Vermera i Rembranta, Van Goga i Monea, do Pikasa, Vorhola, Kaldera...
Zapadno, neoklasicističko krilo zgrade (arh. Džon Rasel Poup) je
posvećeno evropskim umetnicima od srednjeg veka, kao i SAD
umetnicima pre XX veka. Istočno krilo, više minimalističkog
karaktera (arh. I. M. Pei), nadopunjava Hiršhorn, sa svojom
kolekcijom moderne i savremene umetnosti (avaj, bilo je pod
rekonstrukcijom...).
The
first museum on the list is officially not a part of the SI, albeit
the connection is present and little complicated. Formed as a
starting donation of the banker Andrew Mellon, opened in 1941, this
enormous museum encompasses the whole, standard (should I add –
western) art history. I need to draw the parralel to my studies again
– it's like seeing a greater portion of Janson's book, through
artworks (minus architecture), materialized in one building. From Leonardo da Vinci (the only one in the US) and Van Eyck, through Vermeer and Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Monet, to Picasso, Warhol, Calder...
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| Impresionisti |
 |
| Kakve boje... Edward Hopper, Cape Cod Evening, 1939 |
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| George Catlin, Assinneboine Chief before and after Civilization, 1861/9. |
Moje hodočašće je bilo usmereno na Pola Gogena, predmeta mog diplomskog rada...
Parnjak
ovom muzeju je Smithsonian American Art Museum, koji stoji kao brat
blizanac deli zgradu sa National portrait gallery,
koji se nalazi blizu metro stanice Gallery Place / Chinatown. Više
lokalnog karaktera, obuhvata istoriju SAD kroz umetnost, najviše od
XIX veka pa nadalje. Takođe, poseduje kolekcije npr. folklorne,
latino i afro-američke umetnosti, kao i umetnost autodidakta.
As a pair to this museum stands the Smithsonian
American Art Museum, which, as a twin brother, shares the building
with National portrait gallery,
located near the Gallery Place / Chinatown metro station. More of a
national character, it covers the US
history via art, mostly from 19th
century. Additionally, it has collections of folklore and
self-taught, Latino and Afro-American art, among others.
 |
| Nam June Paik, Electronic superhighway, continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, 1995 |
 |
| Alexis Rockerman, Manifest Destiny, 2004 |
U
toku je bila retrospektiva Richard Estes' Realism,
gde sam prisustvovao i razgovoru sa umetnikom i jednom od
kustoskinja. Sećam se jedne scene – u okviru pitanja publike,
javio se jedan postariji gospodin, kako se kasnije ispostavilo
„zemljak“ koji decenijama živi u SAD, koji je kritikovao
umetnika da slika „lepe slike i razglednice“, tehnički
fascinantne, ali da se u njegovim slikama ne vidi ništa od
savremenog društva i problema savremenog čoveka.
When
I visited it, the retrospective Richard Estes' Realism was on
display, where I had a chance to attend the art talk with the artist
himself and one of the curators of the exposition. I remember vividly
one particular scene – during Q&A, an elderly gentleman, who
turned out to be my compatriot living in the US for ages, criticized
the artist painting “nice paintings and postcards”, technically
fascinating, but without any mention of contemporary society and the
problems of contemporary people.
Imao sam prilike da slušam... zamalo da kažem predavanje, bolje
rečeno nastup njujorškog kritičara Džerija Salca (Jerry Saltz).
Govorio je o umetničkom svetu i istoriji umetnosti, izložbama,
kritičarima (vrsti koja odumire, kako je rekao), sa dosta anegdota i
šala. Imao sam kulturni šok na početku, očekujući klasično
predavanje, ali i ovde se videlo koliko je pristup programu za
javnost bio s ciljem da bude informativan, stručan, i manje
akademičan... mada u ovom slučaju i malo (peviše) kao stand-up.
Koliko je to dobro – ne znam; nastup nije bio dosadan.
I also had the opportunity to see... well, not a lecture, better
saying a performance talk by NY art critic Jerry Saltz. He spoke
about art world and history, exhibitions, critics (a dying specias,
as he told us), with a lot of anecdotes and jokes. A cultural shock
swept me at the beginning, expecting a typical lecture, but here too
I could see how programming public events tends to be informative,
professional, and less academic... well, in this case, for me at
least, slightly too stand-up-ish. Is this Ok – I dunno; the
“lecture” was not boring at all.
Uostalom, prosudite i sami:
After all, see it yourself:
Imao sam ambicije da sve muzeje tutnem ovde, ali prošlo je već dva
sata pisanja, i ja i vi zaslužujemo predah. Do nastavka priča o
muzejima, još jedan bend iz WDC.
My ambition was to wrap up with all museums here, however after two
hours of writing, both of us are in need of a break. Till the
continuation of museum stories, another band from WDC.
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists: Me and Mia
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