Shapes of Knowledge, an exhibition that is currently on at MUMA (Monash University Museum of Art) till 13 April, offers an experience like no other. It challenges the audience to reflect on their own ways of knowing, and poses the big question of “how art is transformed by learning, and, in turn, how learning is transformed by art”, which everyone should have their own answer after the visit. Eight projects across time and the globe were brought into this big survey, which allows the audience to explore the entangled relationship between knowledge and art practices.
Fossil Fuels + the Arts, by A Centre for Everything
If you ask someone what is the link between the fossil fuels industry and the arts institutions, the majority of people in Australia probably don’t know the answer. The relationship between the two is indeed complex and may seem distant, but there is still a relationship.
The first glimpse at this large map on the wall (figure 1) has utterly overwhelmed me. Looking back at it again I still do not think it would be considered as “good design” because of the lack of clarity in the way information is displayed. It was not until I sat down and caught the end of the video lecture made by the creators of this map, that clarified my confusion.
The video ruthlessly revealed how does the fossil fuel industry ingratiates itself to the public, and how do big corporations like banks make profits by investing in this industry – the industry that is the biggest contributors of carbon emission and climate change – without telling everyone, of course. What’s more shocking to me, is that those businesses are also dominating the field of the arts through offering “gratitude” sponsorship, as discussed in the video, making artists “a marketing arm of the fossil fuels industry”, as stated by the creator Gabrielle de Vietri. What this is implying is that the fossil fuels industry can have a say on what kind of art should be exhibited, which in turn influences what artists create nowadays.
I have to admit that this is one of the very few times where I have sat down in an art gallery and actually spent time to appreciate the video material provided by artist. It’s also one of the very few times where I felt I actually learnt something from a gallery visit. For most of the time I only have time to glance at the artifacts and purely appreciate the aesthetic value of them. Or as Pierre Bourdieu explained in “Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste”, what I am used to is to appreciate art for its “primary stratum” based on my experience, instead of decoding art’s “secondary meanings.” I’m no artist or graphic designer, but when I create my own form of art, I would emphasis more on the pure aesthetics of it. In another words, when I create an illustration piece, I draw what I think would look nice on paper. What “secondary value” was implemented was never of my concern.
I actually visit the NGV quite often, and interestingly, NGV is among one of the galleries that were sponsored by the fossil fuels industry, as listed by A Centre for Everything project. I presume most people, including myself, would consider the NGV exhibits are of good taste art and design, and educational to an extent, judging by the popularity of them as well as how they are always celebrated on mainstream social media. But now when I think of the NGV I cannot help but be reminded of the business side of it, also to reflect on myself: do I really get to choose the knowledge I want to acquire, or do people present me with what they want me to learn?
Tianlan He (Tina)
References:
- Rebecca Shanahan, “Gabrielle de Vietri discusses links between art and fossil fuels,” Art Guide Australia, accessed April 2019,https://artguide.com.au/gabrielle-de-vietri-discusses-links-between-art-and-fossil-fuels
- Pierre Bourdieu, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (1984), https://lms.monash.edu/pluginfile.php/8323618/mod_resource/content/1/Wk%202%2C%20Pierre%20Bourdieu%2C%20Introduction%20from%20Distinction%20%281%29.pdf
- Monash University, “A Centre for Everything,”Monash University Museum of Art, accessed April 2019, https://www.monash.edu/muma/exhibitions/exhibition-archive/2019/Shapes-of-knowledge/a-centre-for-everything
- Monash University, “Shapes of Knowledge,” Monash University Museum of Art, accessed April 2019, https://www.monash.edu/muma/exhibitions/exhibition-archive/2019/Shapes-of-knowledge
Design Practices 