Last Sunday I went with Irina to the Grange. On a perfect day. Part of the AGO, this is a historical mansion one of the earliest building in Toronto. It is being renovated and therefore, excavated. The Grange's exhibit was filled with wonders basically presented as scientific fact complete with curator's desk, casts of findings, analysis, maps... and the subject so quirky and wonderful: a maid in the 19th century had made all these wax creations and the anthropologists were trying to find out who she was and why she did this: so wonderful!!! ...I was in rapture, in love with this quirky maid... they gave us explanation notes at the end, which I didn't read until I got home many hours later.
And that's when I found out that it was all a pretend set-up, an "installation". I felt so confused, humiliated, and betrayed since I had gotten so in love with a character I thought was real. I had already made plan to work on it in my Art, let everybody know, write about it... so I felt that I really fell hard from that illusion. I deeply disagree with such intellectual concept that takes on all the means of something genuine but isn't. It would be alright if you were told during the exhibit, but afterward like that, with this guy lying to you the whole time, that was way beyond anything ethical I feel.
hmmm no... I really don't know what was meant to be the real point of this big lie, but it has slipped into something else. I could tel the presenter was uncomfortable with me, I asked a lot of questions. He wouldn't make eye contact long. He had doubt about the validity of it all I am pretty sure. Perhaps this kind of experiments are good to the kind of people who live life never questioning anything? What do you think?
...And yes I am naive, but I don't want to be any-other-way.
2 comments:
Mais ! C'est une experience formidable !
En quelque sorte tu t'est "eveillee" a une nouvelle realite, en apprenant que c'etait juste un conte ?
Il y a quelque chose de tres interessant dans tout ca. Maintenent que tu sais, tu devrais revisiter l'expo pour avoir une nouvelle experience, C'est un cadeau auspicieux, cette experience !
Hmmm... I'd like to be able to immediately let go something like that but I can't. Not enough to go back there. I'm too passionate about something like that, betrayal is betrayal even if it's for the sake of Art. I keep an open mind about it, sis, but for now, can't go back. But I agree that it's interesting to revisit all the emotions involved in this. It's almost funny how incredibly attached I become with this character right away: Poetry and quirkiness at last in this money hungry city!!! a Catacombes-worthy mystery! but no - just conceptual Art thank you!
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