CAG on museums: Putting up the 'Material Connections' display

Iberian female votive figure 5th century BC

The ‘Material Connections: Spanish and Portuguese decorative arts’ is officially up and running. Having such a short lead-in time, it has been an enormous task to get everything ready and up to standard. Some of the biggest hurdles for curatorial work I think happen to be whether or not the aspects of the exhibition which you need to outsource (printing, conservation, design, etc.) can be done with the same expediency that you have to get your exhibition out in. This is when I learned that doing as much as I could possibly do on my own like photography, interpretation, install, mount making, and (some of) the design would make the process move much faster than usual.

 

19th century pistol holders to go over the pommel of a horse

Making plastizote cut outs for the pistol holders

Packing objects for transport

Although it has been a whirlwind of a job, curating, researching, and installing an exhibition is one of the most fulfilling things about curatorial work. There are a lot of other aspects of the curator position that aren’t really my favourite things, but you’re always reminded that you do those slightly trivial  tasks so that when you get to do the exhibition work it gives you so much satisfaction.

Facón knife Spain 1869

Gaucho in the Argentinian Republic with facón in belt 1868,
Library of Congress Courret Hermanos Fotografos, Lima Peru

Attempted 'professional' lead image with photoshop,
6th century BC Iberian belt clasp

Plastic covered wire holders for suspended belt clasp 

Cutting out plastizote for bronze mounts

Bronzes mounted and labelled

18th century Portuguese Appliqué pinned on
fabric covered plastizote block 

Pinning 17th century Portuguese silk panel to textile mount with student

Arranging textiles once installed in the case

Title interpretation panel

Installing leatherwork and bronzes

Install completed with interpretation